In the Dreamer's Wake
by Lady Librarian
Summary: Strange that their story had come full circle. Strange to once again come to the same beginning: the dream chasing the sleeper. At least he knew what he must do. He would find her. He would wake her. Together they would find their way home. Book two of the Kamikakushi Saga.
1. Chapter 1

WARNING! This is book 2 of the Kamikakushi Saga.

I recommend that you read Book 1 - "A Road to Somewhere" (complete)  
before reading this story. But who am I to tell you what to do. ^_^

* * *

 **CHIHIRO**

"Would you like some more rice, sweetheart?"

"Huh?" Chihiro stared at her mom stupidly.

The kitchen was brimming with the spicy smells of dinner: pork katsu,  
wedge salad, and rice. Across the way her dad was chewing with loud  
lip-smacking gusto, shaking out the Sunday paper every time he turned a  
page, utter absorbed as he devoured the sports section with his eyes. In  
the distance the air conditioner was chugging away, pumping a cold dry  
breeze through the dining room that sent the glass panes of the  
chandelier clinking like bottles of pop. Michio sneezed, making Chihiro  
jump. Familiar sounds, familiar smells, familiar people.

All the same it felt like she was sinking.

Because somehow she forgot how she'd gotten here.

When had she come down from upstairs? How long had she been sitting here  
at the table? At once she tried to catch hold of what she had been  
thinking about a moment before. Whatever it was, it was gone along with  
the rest of her day. It was an unintelligible blur inside her head. But  
still, amidst the blur the ghost of something lingered as she stared at  
her mother.

Wait… Hadn't she been here before?

Hadn't she sat at this table feeling miserable and lost?

Déjà vu hit her like a punch to the gut, leaving her teetering on the  
brink of panic.

"Chihiro?"

She cringed from the fear in her mother's voice, watching the pinch  
deepen between Yuko's carefully plucked brows. Worry bled through her  
face like a stain, traveling to pull down the corners of her perfect  
lipstick pink mouth. It was the exact same color as her ridiculously  
frilly apron. Saving Chihiro from herself, Michio elbowed her hard,  
making her sit bolt upright and hold out her bowl.

"Y-yes, please!"

But the damage was done.

"Are you okay, honey?"

"Y-yeah…?" Chihiro winced again as her shrill voice cracked.

At once Yuko looked at Michio just as the goth put a clump of rice in  
her mouth.

"Has she taken her medication today?"

Beneath her shocking locks Chihiro's best friend went bright pink,  
struggling to swallow. The color in her cheeks made her look less at  
odds with the drab beige and blue of the modern kitchen décor. Michio  
looked like she was dressed for a summer funeral: short black skirt,  
black tank, black knee highs, black make-up. Black, black, black: Yuko  
did not approve.

"10AM and 3PM, right on the dot."

Ugh... The horse pills tasted like chalk. They were supposed to help. If  
anything they made Chihiro even groggier. But Michio wouldn't let her  
skip them.

"Did she take it with food like the doctor said?"

Yuko's frown sharpened as Michi's Sidekick buzzed in her pocket. The  
thing never shut up. Yuko didn't approve of gadgets at the table. But  
Michi could text without looking at the screen, which she did  
shamelessly under the table even as Yuko remained oblivious.

"She had them with andango this afternoon, Mrs. Ogino."

"Hmph… No wonder she's not hungry."

Yuko turned away, busying herself with closing up the rice maker. Michi  
elbowed Chihiro again, nodding after her mother before rolling her eyes.  
But as Chihiro followed her friends gaze her stomach filled with angry  
embers.

She didn't like the way Yuko was talking to Michi.

And she liked even less the way her mom was talking over her head.

Like she wasn't there.

Like she wasn't capable of telling time and following directions.

Like she was a little girl.

Over the past two days Chihiro had come to realize she hated being  
treated like a little girl. She hated her pink frilly room. She hated  
the crushing emptiness of her parents' cavernous, stair-filled house. As  
if being on crutches wasn't frustrating enough, she couldn't turn a  
corner without running into her mother. Yuko was positively vibrating  
with agendas: doctor's visits, specialist appointments, physical  
therapy. But she hadn't said a thing about what had happened, nor had  
she asked any questions. It was like she wanted to forget the whole  
thing had happened even as Chihiro desperately tried to remember.  
Chihiro wasn't looking forward to her first meeting with the  
Psychologist in Mizunamii City. The last thing she wanted was to go back  
to a hospital. But there was no way Yuko would let her skip out on her  
appointments.

Furious over her helplessness, Chihiro glared at the table top until she  
felt like she could breathe fire.

Two days and she was sick of this house. Most of all she was sick of the  
gaping hole inside her head where exactly one month of her life had gone  
missing. Gripping the edge of the table, Chihiro stared at the shell  
bracelet on her wrist trying to remember something, anything about the  
person who had given it to her. Looking for him in her memory was like  
trying to see the bottom of the sea. She looked and looked, but all she  
could remember was his name. That was it, just a name.

But that wasn't it... Every fiber of her body told her she should be  
looking for something else.

What the hell was it! She had no idea!

As she struggled with uncertainty a strange pressure began building  
inside her chest, until it felt like she was going to fly to pieces. She  
shivered violently as a strange thrill went surging up her spine, making  
her hands and fingers tingle as the hairs on her neck stood up. As the  
sensation peeked the lights overhead pulsed eerily, growing more intense  
until the filaments burst.

"Oh!" Yuko gasped, recoiling from the fixture as if winked out.

"Huh…" Finally Akio surfaced in from behind his paper, frowning at the  
burned out bulbs as he folded his paper, "The construction guys must be  
messing with the power lines again. I'll have some more rice, honey."

"Those are brand new bulb," Yuko took her husband bowl, still frowning  
at the ceiling, "They're expensive too."

Inexplicably annoyed by her mom's comment Chihiro clambered up from the  
table without asking to be excused. Wordlessly Michio followed. At least  
the crutches extended her stride, because she was at the sliding glass  
door in the beige horror that was the immaculately decorated living room  
before her mother scolded from the kitchen.

"Chihiro, you haven't touched your diner!"

"M'not hungry!" She shot back without turning, fumbling with the slider.

"Where are you going?" Akio called, only now realizing they had gotten up.

"Just for a walk, Mr. Ogino." Michio answered.

"You girls come back by dark," unconcerned, he was shaking his paper again.

As Michi pulled open the slider Chihiro pitched out into the solid wall  
that was the humid September afternoon. The back patio was baked with  
heat that burned the bottom of her bare feet as Chihiro trundled her way  
through the perfectly manicured albeit wilted yard to the back gate.  
Flies and mosquitoes swarmed the air as she went crunching across the  
ankle deep grass sloping down the field behind her parents' house. Her  
crutches were not made for off-roading and got hung up on the gullies  
and clumps of weeds. Still she swung her legs forward, fleeing the  
periwinkle house and all its smothering domesticity.

"Hold up, you crazy tripod!" Cringing from the light, Michio threw  
herself right into Chihiro's path, "Where the hell do you think you're  
going!"

With a gusty sigh Chihiro hung on the arm cushions, scrunching the dry  
grass between the toes of her bare foot. She glared at the Hello Kitty  
boot the same way she'd glared at the table. But she was glad to look at  
something beside the muddy scar to her right. Chihiro couldn't stand to  
see what had become of the woods since housing development expanded. It  
sparked an irrationally raw cord of misery in her heart she couldn't  
explain.

"I… I gotta get out of here, Michi. This place isn't home anymore."

"Finally! I've been waiting two days for you to say that!" The Goth  
shook her shoulders in frustration, "Let's just go. That'd really piss  
off your mom. Pretty please!"

Chihiro sighed again, pushed by an obligatory stab of guilt to defend  
her mom, "C'mon, Michi. You know she means well."

Michi crossed her arms with a grimace, turning her back to the bright  
afternoon sun, "So where y'wanna go? I don't wanna go back to Osaka, so  
what about Nagoya? You've still got your apartment, right?"

That was true, she did have the apartment. But Nagoya pretty much  
belonged to Karou. The last thing Chihiro wanted was to see him again.

"Not there."

"Then where?"

"I… I dunno."

"Gah!" Michi grabbed her head, spinning away in frustration, "You're  
pissing me off too, Chihiro! Just pick a place, kay! M'not gonna decide  
for you, I'm following you, remember!"

No. She didn't remember.

Growing lost inside herself again, Chihiro trailed her eyes over the slope.

As useless as it was they'd left a beauty strip along the base of the  
hill. A little bit of the forest followed the stretch of old road  
towards the charred bones of the clock tower. At least the old hinoki  
tree was still standing. Some of the construction workers must've been  
superstitious because there were offerings at its base.

Just then a glint the caught her eye.

Down the old road, just inside the last vestiges of the woods, was an  
old motorcycle.

The rear mirror flashed in the sun as a sparse breeze shifted the  
branched. It had a side car, looking like something straight out of a  
movie. Weird, it hadn't been here yesterday. Chihiro spent the better  
part of yesterday staring out her bedroom window and hadn't noticed it.

"What?" With a curious moue, Michi turned and followed her gaze. But she  
lit up the moment her eyes fell on the bike.

"Oh, cool!"

No longer bothered by the sun, the Goth was already going down the hill,  
gingerly picking her way as if afraid of the plants.

"Hey! Hey, wait!"

It was Chihiro's turn to chase, which was pretty much impossible on  
crutches. She almost fell several times, swearing under her breath every  
time she stepped on something sharp. By the time she made it to the  
bottom of the hill she was sweating profusely and Michio was already  
taking picture after picture with her phone. The road still gave Chihiro  
the creeps. It pretty much dead ended into nothing, but in her story it  
lead to something much more. It was just a story, but with a grimace she  
avoided looking at the darkness further into the woods, stumping her way  
along the shaded path to the rusty motorcycle.

"I love these things. My ex had one that was way cherry. Isn't it  
super creepy? It totally looks haunted," Michi waved at the side car,  
"Get in, I'll take your picture!"

Chihiro shook her head so vigorously her pony tail whipped into her  
eyes. It could've been junk dumped here to rot but the tires were too  
new. That and someone had left the keys in the ignition. There was  
something uncomfortably familiar about it that gave her the chills the  
same way the road did.

"Leave it alone. Whoever it belongs to is probably close by."

"Don't be a baby," Michi rolled her eyes, "At least take a picture of me?"

Shamelessly the Goth was already climbing into the side car. The shocks  
creaked like a rusty hinges. Chihiro jerked bolt upright as something  
moved in her periphery; whatever it was skirted between the gloomy  
maples too quick to see. Every hair on Chihiro's neck stood up as eyes  
seemed to stare out of the eerily silent tees.

"W-whoa!" Michio was looking into the thicket, "D-did you see that?"

"See what?"

Pale and serious, Michi pointed at the dark shadows further down the road.

"I… I think I saw someone. He was… um… watching us."

Instantly Chihiro's heart quickened as the same strange prickles danced  
over her skin, "It's probably just one of the stone statues. There're a  
lot of them out here."

They both flinched as branch snapped far too close for comfort.

"Neh...?" Michi whispered as she got down from the bike, nervously  
eyeing the trees, "This is totally the way ghost stories start."

"Shut up, Michio!" Chihiro hissed.

Suddenly a wind breathed between the trees. Shadows shifted back and  
forth as branches swayed, sighing and whispering with a thousand  
unintelligible voices. On the breeze came the unmistakable scent of rain  
even though the sky was bare. Once more the horrible feeling of déjà vu  
hit Chihiro full in the chest, this time so firmly she reeled back.  
Dropping her crutches she rushed out into the sunlight, limping away as  
fast as she could. Tripping on the pothole where dirt ended and cement  
began, she went down hard. The world seemed to spin as she lay on the  
hot pavement staring up at blue sky.

"S-shit! You okay?" Her crutches clattered on the road as Michio tried  
to pull her up, "Man, you're heavy!"

"I'll call Lydia," Chihiro gritted between her teeth, "Maybe she can  
find a place for us to stay."

* * *

 **HAKU**

Ducking behind the maple, he held his breath as Chihiro looked right in  
his direction. As his pulse thundered in his ears sweat beaded on his  
upper lip. He could feel the heat of her gaze as it roved over the  
tangled thicket around him.

She was close. Oh, so very close.

For the past two days he and Cinna had followed river upon river of  
car-choked winding concrete. Their only guide had been the needle and  
glass Onsen had given him. It was called a compass, or so the cat told  
him. He knew this way by sky, not by land. But thanks to the brass  
needle it was not long until the hills grew familiar. Just before dawn  
they arrived at the bottom of this hill. In the dark he gazed up at the  
home of Chihiro's parents. Filled with relief and a score of new aches  
and pains, exhausted by travel and hunger, Haku had fallen asleep in the  
sidecar only to awake to broad daylight and approaching voices.  
Struggling upright, he found the cat was gone and in a panic he fled to  
the trees.

Then he heard Chihiro's voice.

Time had never flowed through him so quickly. It felt as if centuries  
had passed since he had heard her speak. Yet is had only been a week, if  
that. The sound along sent him trembling with joy. Against his better  
judgment he forsook his hiding place for the briefest moment, if only to  
catch a glimpse. As he did Haku saw a great many things.

Chihiro was not well. Her injury obviously pained her as she leaned  
heavily on her crutches. But worst of all was the cloud of despair that  
hung over her like an impending storm. Haku knew why. He could see it in  
her face; see it in the lines of suffering that etched around her eyes.  
She was at war with herself, at odds with the curse that prevented her  
from remembering what she knew to be true. Worse, she grieved and not  
for him. Even as jealous seared his heart Haku's puny mortal legs went  
weak with worry for her, threatening to fold and spill him into the  
leaves and dirt.

Then he took notice of Michio.

The woman was not what Haku expected; birdishly thin and strangely  
painted, she smelled strongly of human chemicals. But there was an  
unspoken kinship between the mortal and Chihiro, one that reached back  
into their childhood. He half remembered the strange mortal woman from  
the days Chihiro used to play beside his river. She had changed greatly.  
Curiously he studied Michio, because in spite of the tart reek of the  
sharp green poison leeched through her hair and smeared on her face,  
Michio's eyes held an inexplicable clarity most humans did not possess.  
And so it should not have been surprising that she saw him in spite of  
his tatter cloak's obscuring shadows.

But it was a surprise.

As their eyes met he gaped in astonishment.

And she saw him as in a panic he hastily melted back behind the tree.

"Whoa! Did you see that!"

"See what?" Chihiro answered uncertainly.

Michio was now afraid, "I think I saw someone. He was, um… watching us."

In response to his agitation wind coursed through the thicket, pouring  
out of him in great gouts of surprise. It stirred up into the maples  
overhead, blowing back down the road towards the motorbike.

"Chihiro!"

As Michio's voice pitched up an octave Haku threw his gaze around the  
tree only to watch Chihiro flee. As she tripped and fell instinct took  
over. In a blink he would have been at her side, lifting her in his  
arms. Before he could move something hit him from behind, knocking him  
flat on his stomach. A heavy weight crushed him into the carpet of dry  
leaves. Resisting, Haku came up short as claws sank into his shoulders.

"Don' y'even!" Cinna hissed quietly in his ear.

Even after he went still the cat continued to stand on his back as if  
she did not trust him not to run. In truth it was probably wise, because  
the wind was still buffeting the trees. A squall of emotions went raging  
through his insides and he struggled to find a calm that came with  
unusual slowness.

"I cannot breathe!" Haku gritted between his teeth.

Her tail tickled the backs of his calves as it lashed back and forth,  
"Y'gonna be good if aye letcha up?"

"Yes," he wheezed, finally in control of himself.

Drawing in a deep breath as the weight dissolved from his shoulders, he  
rolled over onto his back, staring up at the dappled green roof spread  
over the reaching fingers of the trees. It took Haku a moment to realize  
he was listening intently to the silence.

"They's gone back up t'the house."

Sharply he looked at the cat as she guessed his thoughts. Wearing faded  
black jeans torn into shorts and a knotted black shirt, Cinna was  
crouched beside him with her shamisen slung across her back. She made no  
effort to hide her velvet ears and tail and her bare feet were muddy to  
the knee. The cat's crimson eyes tightened into smiles as mirth split  
her dark face, revealing sharp teeth.

"Y'got stuff n'yer face, kitten." Reaching over she peeled a leaf from  
his cheek.

"Where have you been? I woke and you were gone," He demanded sharply,  
earning a sour moue from the cat.

"Tch… Ain't we lippy! Y'nodded off soon as t'sun came up so's aye went  
off t'see what's 'round here: humans, humans, an' more humans. They's  
made a mess o' t'hills back there," she jabbed a thumb towards the  
construction site as she slowly sashayedback towards the road,  
"By-the-by, brought somethin' t'eat."

Food.

Instantly Haku clambered after the cat with not a care for where she had  
been. She laughed as his stomach let out a fierce and petulant whine,  
stooping to fish a cloth wrapped box out of a hollowed tree. At once he  
was on his knees at her feet, wide-eyed and salivating as he reached for  
the parcel. This she relinquished without comment. Tearing the fabric  
free and tossing the lid on the container Haku breathed in the salty  
smell of grilled fish and rice. Seated barefoot in the dirt the former  
God shoved both into his mouth by the handful.

The last meal he had taken was at the largess of a mikan tree (2) along  
the road. Haku had eaten so many he made himself terribly sick. But the  
strength of mortal hunger was not something he had been prepared to  
endure. It was a suffering unlike anything he had ever felt. The worst  
of it was the selfishness it imparted. Haku was gnawing on the fish  
bones before realizing he had not offered any of the meal to Cinna.  
Staring in horror at the empty container, his face flooded with heat as  
he lifted eyes to the cat.

"I… I am sorry!"

"S'okay, kitten, aye's already eaten." Something in her face softened as  
she waved off his mortification, "Y'get 'nough fer now? Wan' me t'getcha  
more?"

The cat's concern only served to intensify Haku's shame.

"No. This is enough, thank you."

Trying to regain the dignity he had so hastily thrown away Haku closed  
the container and went to rewrap it with the cloth only to realize there  
was a name written on the bottom. A streak of cold went blowing through  
Haku's chest, making the meal he had just consumed suddenly feel like a  
lead weight in his stomach.

"Cinnamon… Where did you get this?"

Abruptly she turned away, "Wot's it matter where it come from?"

Kami could not lie.

They often avoided telling the truth by answering a question with a  
question.

"It does matter," he pronounced with firm disapproval.

At once the cat's tail bristled out into a great brush as she growled  
low in her chest, rounding on him with mirrored eyes, making him recoil  
in surprise as she stabbed a yellowed claw at the ground.

"We got's t'eat if we's gonna stay in this world an' there ain't no  
one t'feed us now! Ain't gonna watch y'starve 'cause y'too proud  
t'steal! Y'gotta git over them high an' mighty ways o' yers if yeh  
wan' t'survive this world, got tha'!"

He sat bolt upright, chewing on angry emotions to keep from flinging  
hot-headed words of reply at the cat. Clenching shaking fists, Haku  
threw his furious gaze aside, because she was right and he knew it. At  
Yubaba's bath house his needs had been seen to by servants. After he  
left magic had been enough to sustain him when food was scarce. And then  
Chihiro had taken care of him.

But all of that was gone now.

Once again the crushing terror of what he had become pressed down on him  
like a stone. Shackled with this flesh Haku found himself bound by needs  
he did not fully know or understand. Even more foreign were the  
necessary ways to fulfill those needs. He knew nothing about being  
human. He was utterly helpless, so incapable of caring for himself he  
had reduced his companion to stealing in order to feed him

"I am sorry," Haku gritted between his teeth as heat flooded his face  
with shame. Bowing with stiff formality over the empty container, he  
held it out to the cat, "Thank you for what you have done for me."

"Ah, hell..." Cinna sighed, sinking onto her heels as she glared off  
into the woods, "Aye's sorry too, kitten. Didn't mean t'bite."

Together they sat in silence as birds chirped overhead, flitting by in  
tiny flocks. The afternoon was already waning and the heat retreated as  
shadows pitched longer and deep. That was a blessing because he felt  
utterly coated in sticky sweat. The discomfort of perspiration was  
something else he had never before experienced. He did not care for it.  
Haku cared even less for the horrid itching that accompanied the  
condition in ever crook and nook of his body; especially his hair which  
he scratched vigorously. But the cold was far worse than the itching. He  
had spent much of the journey with chattering teeth as the wind robbed  
his very bones of warmth.

As if anticipating night Haku shivered violently only to jump as Cinna  
tossed a pebbled at him. Looking up he found her glaring with crossed  
arms and flattened ears.

"Don' sulk," she muttered, "Makes y'look sour."

Haku snorted, following the road with his eyes to the dry grass at the  
feet of the great hinoki (1) cypress. Again the corners of his mouth  
pulled down into a frown as he stared at the road where Chihiro had fallen.

"She does not look well."

"Tch…" Cinna answered shortly, "Least y'found her."

At once aggrieved and elated, Haku found himself at a loss. His throat  
pinched in pain as burning pinpricks flooded his eyes with what he was  
learning to understand as despair. It overwhelmed him as he turned his  
face into filthy hands.

"Yes… We have found her, but I know not what next to do." He hushed  
between his palms, "I have gone to her in dreams with no success. I  
cannot greet her in waking moments for I am a fright in my current  
state! Oh, how I am lost!"

Haku flinched at the cat threw a much larger pebble at him. It hurt.  
Looking up he found her glaring again with sharply retracted pupils.

"M'sure she feels t'same way."

The cat stabbed a claw down the road towards the top of the hill before  
standing and planting her hands on her hips, jostling the shamisen  
strapped to her back. The instrument let out a soft sympathetic plink.

"Aye don' know nothin' 'bout curses, kitten. But aye do know you an'  
she's on t'same road. Y'gotta meet up at some point. You's both here,  
aintcha? Tha's gotta mean somethin'."

"Perhaps it is coincidence?" He muttered sullenly.

"Tch!" Cinna hissed between her teeth, "Ain't no such thing as a  
coincidence!"

* * *

 **LIN**

The lilting voice of Natsumi's koto filtered through the floor, filling  
the humid evening air with soft song. Even the cicadas seemed to quiet  
in the face of the music.

But Lin didn't hear it.

Earlier that evening Onsen watched curiously from the rafters as Lin  
carried boxes of records from the office back to her room, skulking in  
the dark like a thief. But she was no thief. She was just borrowing  
them. Behind closed doors she went to work, pulling piles upon piles of  
papers until the low table in the corner of her tiny room was drowned in  
white. As Lin tallied old and new earnings her brow tightened and  
pinched. Click, click, click when the beads of her abacus. She glanced  
at her fingers. They were smudged black with ink of countless calculations.

All of this started earlier that morning.

After Amano-san brought in the groceries he turned over a strange slip  
of waxy paper. It took Lin a moment to realize it was a mortal receipt  
accounting for the cost of the food. The human was utterly red with  
embarrassment, so much so she found herself concerned for his well being.

"Nani set up an account for us," Amano muttered apologetically, refusing  
to look her in the eyes, "S-sorry… Didn't have enough cash t'pay for it  
all."

Lin's heart sank like a stone just as it had earlier.

She looked down at the red numbers in the total columns. They were  
growing larger and larger because the Amano had also brought with him  
small rectangles of human paper. Inside these were stiff stubs printed  
with more numbers. The humans called it mail, but a debt remained a  
debt. And they were close to drowning in them.

Closing her eyes, Lin tried to remember a world without money.

It had been ages since she'd thought of Ezo. (3)

In that time the forest provided everything she needed. Her memories of  
the north were thick with winter snow. Like a blanket it coated the  
shores of Lake Shikaribetsu, covering the ice, climbing up the bowl of  
mountains on all four sides until the whole world went white. She could  
almost taste the glorious cold on her tongue; almost smell the sharp  
scent of the black pines as her claws cut through bark. It had been a  
long time since she recalled the sweet earthy press of her burrow and  
the soft wiggling bodies that clambered against her for warmth.

But that place was dead.

Lin's heart clenched with terror as the heavy thud of a club echoed in  
the depths of her chest. She would never forget that sound, just like  
she would never forget the shrill screech of snapping traps. But the  
hunters couldn't catch her. She was too smart but her siblings were not  
so lucky. All too soon they were hunting only her.

Lin could still hear the baying of the dogs that had chased her from the  
north. Gripping the edge of the table, she fought the familiar panic  
that drove her all the way to Yubaba's Bath House. By that time she was  
glad to give up her name, glad to forget what she had lost.

But as she had lost so too had she gained.

Then there was Sen.

Sen took them in. Sen took care of them and did so without asking for a  
thing in return. She just gave and gave and gave. It was easy to get  
used to that kindness, easy to depend on it. But now Sen was gone and  
Lin's chest tightened, growing too small to hold in all the things she  
was feeling. Lin found herself listening to the koto.

It reminded her of rain.

Reminded her that Haku and Cinna had gone as well.

Lin made the Onsen stay silent that night. Without hesitation she sent  
the cat. And by the time Suzume realized both were missing they had gone  
far beyond his reach. Like a piece of stone she stood before the fox's  
rage, unmoved by all his shouting. But as the God's outburst ended  
Suzume turned on her such a look of betrayal Lin nearly shattered. She  
and Suzume had not spoken a word since that day. She endured the  
crushing silence between them without regret for what she had done. If  
anyone could bring Sen home, it would be Haku.

Lin would have gone with him if she could. She scowled at the clear  
night sky beyond the balcony the sliders. Stars winked around the  
crescent moon, reflecting in the rice fields. It took her a moment to  
sort the reflections from the mushi drifting in the gathering mists. The  
living lights grew thicker towards the black wall of trees on the  
perimeter of the property. They blurred as she put the ink brush in her  
mouth. Biting down, her sharp teeth dented the wood. Turning her head  
into her hand, she tried desperately not to cry.

Onsen let out a sharp chime of surprise.

Lin spit out the ink brush.

The door to her room flew open so violently it made ink spill.

Black as the spreading stain, Suzume stormed inside her room.

The bastard had not so much as knocked.

The lantern overhead guttered low in response to his foul mood, making  
the shadow of a fox shift and chase across the wall behind him. Lin  
glared as the door slammed shut behind him. Like he owned the very air  
the God paced in the narrow path between the windows and door, shuffling  
her papers in the wind of his passing. More than annoyed, Lin  
entertained the idea of throwing him off the balcony. But this was the  
first time since the fight they'd seen each out outside the moments he  
arrived in the kitchen to take meals to Lady Nikkou. Her temper flared,  
because it was obvious he wanted to fight. Lin was happy to indulge; she  
welcomed anything but the silence.

He cutting her off as she opened her mouth to speak first.

"You knew! You knew but you did nothing to stop them!"

Suzume growled, baring sharp teeth as he whirled to face her. The fox  
lost a bit of steam as she was on her feet. She was almost as tall as he  
was. The fact that she could look him in the eye with flinty calm seemed  
to unnerve him.

"You knew he was going to leave."

"But you did nothing to stop him!"

"You're an idiot if you think you can tell the wind to wait. You can't  
ask water to be patient. Both will move whether you want them to or not."

Suzume sputtered, sending cracks of red pulsing along the hem of his  
sooty robe. Like a sudden summer downpour words flew between them.

"He knows nothing of thisworld!"

"Cinna went with him!"

"The cat is no nursemaid!" Suzume barked with scathing sarcasm, crossing  
his arms haughtily.

"You think I don't know that! I would have gone myself if I could!"

With widened eyes Suzume started back against the wall, retreating  
physically from her words. All his anger fled as the moon seemed to  
bleach him of all color. At once he was quiet with stark fear.

"You would leave me?"

Lin barely resisting the urge to shake him, "I'm here, aren't I?"

"Do not leave," Suzume almost pleaded as he went paler than pale,  
"Should you go I could not follow."

Lin tightened her hand into a fist as the urge to comfort superseded  
anger. Unfortunately softness was not a part of her being. Instead she  
became a stone firmly rooted at his feet.

"I'm not going anywhere."

"I cannot follow them… I can offer them nothing… I am useless!" Suzume  
whispered so quietly she barely heard him, continuing in a rush, "And I  
am terrified he will fail as I have failed."

"You aren't useless, you stupid fox," Lin pronounced each word firmly,  
"Haku's fate is Sen's fate. Let him chase hope for all of us because we  
are needed here."

Lin started as his handsome gold eyes lifted to hers. As they did  
Suzume's wan features flooded with desperate affection.

"Hiyashimi."

As he spoke her true name aloud Lin closed her eyes. How she missed the  
gentle tenor he only used when speaking to her. How she missed the warm  
spice of his camphor scent. How she loved this stubborn God for all his  
blind strength and stupid weakness. Suzume would never apologize. It was  
not in his nature. But something in the way he spoke her name came close  
enough.

It made her want to shove him away.

It made her want to run away so swiftly he couldn't possibly catch her.

But even if she ran he would call after her.

He would call her back no matter how angry she was with him. Though she  
would never admit it to anyone, she would return to him gladly even as  
she fought herself every step of the way. Lin held her breath as Suzume  
lifted his blackened hands to her face. She did not cringe from the  
roughness or the sharp smell of charcoal. He did not hide the burns from  
her as he did with the others. Closing her hand on the front of his  
kimono, Lin pulled; but he resisted. Confused, she looked up and found  
him frowning at her mouth.

"Woman, you have ink on your lips."

Remorselessly she hauled him forward by the front of his robe and threw  
him at her futon. He hit the cushions with that shrill yip she utterly  
adored. Chuckling throatily, Lin pinned beneath her, holding him down  
with her strength even as he fought to free his hands. How handsome her  
fox was when aggravated. His hair turned glossy ebony as pink flooded  
his pale face, matching the colors seeping between the flashing gold  
ribbons weaving across his robe. Sliding her hand under the silky nape  
of his neck, Lin lowered her face to kiss the God that returned her  
name. Suzume's hands surged up into her hair as Lin worked her mouth  
against his, melting against him until the boundaries of their being  
overlapped and mingled in the dark. And there was no need for hands  
anymore, no need for bodies. Gods loved with their souls alone and in  
the light of the red lanterns they found their way into one being. But  
with a gasp Lin yanked back into physicality, barely aware that she'd  
forgotten clothes.

She sat back on her heels above Suzume listening.

A phone was ringing in the distance.

Amano had plugged it back in so he could call and make calls. But she  
could hear the frogs snoring drunkenly. Natsumi still played koto,  
ignoring the sound. None of the Yuna were brave enough to answer the  
beetle black device.

"Hayashimi."

Suzume caught her attention just as he caught her body by the waist,  
hauling her back against his mortal form. Lin gasped again, because it  
had been a long time since she remembered that flesh could be very  
useful. The pleasurable force of the sensation bent her over the carved  
marble of his bare chest, spilling forward her loose hair. It fell  
around them like a flood as the phone rang a second time.

"Leave it, Hayashimi," Suzume commanded smolderingly.

She almost left just to tease him.

But the God's gold eyes glowed like reflective mirrors, powerful and  
compelling. They held her as his ruined hands ran up the hard wall of  
her stomach, spreading over the planes of her chest before gently  
parting to caress her shoulders. Again she sighed, throwing her head  
back, trembling as he touched the place where her arm had been wrenched  
from the socket. Without an ounce of revulsion he smoothed his scarred  
hands over the hard knots of ruined flesh. The act alone was more  
intimate than anything she had shared with another. Never had she felt  
so beautiful and her heart ached with the strength of the truth Suzume  
was pouring into her.

Somehow Lin summoned enough presence of mind to speak.

"Suzume," She murmured breathlessly, "We must take this reservation."

"Must we?" Sitting up, he nuzzled the soft skin at the heart of her  
chest, stroking his rough hands down her flanks. He bit her teasingly,  
grinning as she jerked back only to grasp his chin with her only hand.  
The flint in her stare brought him to stillness as the phone rang a  
third time.

"Our debts grow with each day we eat."

The fox's faced cleared only to soak through with sharp worry. Lin knew  
why. But they could not starve in the face of Lady Nikkou's fragile  
grief. Nor could they let her starve. And they could not beg from  
Amano-san either. He and his son had so little already. All this Suzume  
knew as she stared into her eyes.

"I will return in a moment." Tenderly as she could, Lin smoothed the  
stray hairs from his face, trying to soothe his worries, trying to learn  
how to be something other than stone if only for him.

"I shall wait."

Reluctantly Suzume let her go but only after making himself comfortable  
in her bed as if it belonged to him. Again he yipped as she playfully  
nipped his shoulder on her way out.

In a blur Lin was across the covered walkway into the main building.

In fractions of a second she was down the hall so quickly her arrival at  
the welcome station caused a wind. Abruptly the reservation manual  
hopped out of its cubby and flipped open as the Onsen lifted the ringing  
phone from the cradle. Under the direction of the house's invisible  
presence the receiver floated to Lin's reaching hand. Not without a bit  
of shyness she answered, feeling strange and out of place. But this was  
her world now. Swallowing fear, Lin spoke aloud in the dark.

"Hakuryo Onsen."

* * *

 **Chapter Notes:**

(1) Hinoki Cypress are the most sacred trees in Japan. They're the only  
wood used to make Ise Shrine, the main shrine to Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess.

(2) Mikan are Satsuma oranges, wee deliciously sweet citrus fruit whose  
peel literally leaps off to make eating them all that much easier.

(3) Ezo is the historic name used to Hokkaido during the Japanese  
medieval period.


	2. Chapter 2

CHIHIRO

Sticky and frustrated by discomfort, Chihiro struggled to kick off the  
sheet.

It was an impossible task thanks to the velcro on her boot splint.

Glancing at the clock, she found it ridiculously late or early depending  
on how you looked at it. Wide awake, she shoved the window open. Even  
though the air conditioner was going full tilt, her room was terribly  
muggy. It occupied the whole north east corner of the house beside the  
guest room where Michio was staying. The only difference between the two  
was Chihiro's room was up an additional half flight of stairs. So the  
heat from the rest of the house funneled right through her door. That  
was great in February. But that made September miserable.

Thankfully a cool breeze filtered in from outside, smelling very  
strongly of rain. It was so weird; there were no clouds. She could see  
the stars. But it was wonderful all the same. With a sigh she listened  
to the crickets and let her mind wander back to her conversation with  
Lydia. Her personal assistant produced an option Chihiro hadn't considered.

"Come to Tokyo."

Michio nearly nodded her head off, bouncing on the bed in vigorous  
agreement as she eavesdropped on the conversation. Chihiro shushed her  
as she tried to listen.

"I have a house in Akasaka you'll just love," Lydia effused from the  
other line, "It's on the Aoyama side so it's actually an old Edo samurai  
residence that's been recently renovated. It's got a garden, lots of  
room, and its right in the middle of the city. You're only a subway hop  
from the Ginza Office. We could have lunch all the time."

Tokyo.

Chihiro's heart thrilled anxiously.

The last time she'd been to Tokyo was for the Spirited Away movie  
premiere. It had been all together a startling experience: she'd worn a  
designer dress that cost as much as a car, she'd gotten blisters on her  
heels from the silly pointy shoes; bright lights and perpetual photo  
sessions blinded her at every turn. Karou just loved it. He was the only  
thing that kept her on her feet that evening. She hadn't been able to  
eat a single thing and almost passed out from hunger at the after party.

What was she going to do in Tokyo!

"Anything you want!" Michi hissed in exasperation, "So don't look a gift  
horse in the mouth, okay?"

Chihiro stared at the ceiling, considering that.

Retrograde Amnesia was a tricky thing. The trauma to her head hadn't  
been significant. All the CAT scans were clear. But the psychologist  
with the kind gold eyes said it could take months, possibly years for  
her to remember. Funny, she couldn't remember his name. She liked him a  
lot. Too bad he couldn't be her doctor. With a sigh she tried to come to  
grips with the diagnosis.

Could she really put her life on hold for that long?

Looking at the bracelet on her wrist Chihiro's heart went cold. In a way  
she didn't want to remember. She'd learned everything she wanted to know  
from other people. Apparently she'd broken up with Karou; moved to the  
stix; bought an Onsen on a whim; fell in love with the owner's grandson.  
It sounded like a fairy tale up until the part where he died; drowned in  
the ocean when the bridge collapsed in the earthquake. Closing her eyes  
she tried to find tears for someone she couldn't even remember.

There weren't any.

Shivering in spite of the heat, Chihiro rolled over onto her side. Maybe  
it was a good thing she couldn't remember him. Maybe Tokyo was exactly  
what she needed. Pulling off the bracelet he had made for her, she put  
it in the drawer of her side table. Her wrist felt light and naked  
without it. Chihiro heaved a sigh as a weary sadness flooded through  
her, making her feel so heavy she could have fallen right through the  
floor. Picking up the necklace around her neck, she played with the  
smooth shell. Her mom commented on it yesterday morning at breakfast.

"Oh, I see you found your old necklace," Yuko said in passing.

"Huh?" Chihiro held up the shell, "You know where this came from?"

"You made it, sweetheart," putting bread into the toaster her mom  
frowned as she remembered, "A long time ago right after we moved here. I  
haven't seen you wear it in ages. Do you want butter on your toast?"

Chihiro didn't remember making the necklace. She didn't remember a thing  
about it except it was around her neck when she woke up at the hospital.  
In spite of the fact that we was going to leave tomorrow morning for  
Tokyo, in spite of the fact that her parents were going to blow a gasket  
over that, Chihiro found herself quite clam as she ran her thumb back  
and forth across the smooth surface of the shell. As she did her mind  
strayed sideways until it bumped right into sleep.

When she opened her eyes again her dream was sitting on the foot of her  
bed. His head was nodding as if he was falling asleep himself; the thick  
curtain of his green-black hair hid his handsome face. Like some kind of  
sandman he was wrapped up in a gauzy gray cloak that shifted like  
shadows, making it hard to see him. But he was there and she was so very  
glad.

"Oh, good," She murmured groggily, "You came back."

Her dream's head jerked up and his jade eyes were wide as they flew to  
her, flashing like the shell around her neck.

"You remember me..." He whispered as if utterly stunned.

"No," Chihiro sighed as she rolled onto her stomach, nuzzling her pillow  
as she prodded him with her foot experimentally, "Not really… But I  
think I've dreamed about you before..."

Abruptly he changed the subject, "You are leaving in the morning."

It wasn't strange that he already knew, but he was a dream after all.

"I have to. But I'm scared."

His beautiful brows drew together in concern, "Why are you frightened?"

"Because I'm leaving something behind that I can't bring with me."

Fear darkened his luminous eyes, "And what is that?"

"I forgot," Chihiro drew in a shuddering breath, pulling the  
covers up to her chin as she found herself suddenly cold, "I know it's  
really, really important. But I can't wait around to remember it. If I  
do wait my whole life could pass me by. That really scares me."

Who needed a psychologist when she had dreams like these?

"Is that so horrible that I can't wait?" Chihiro appealed to him

Her dream was quiet for a long time she thought perhaps he had  
disappeared. Sitting up she found him bent with bunched shoulders  
staring off into the darkness. His pale face was tight with despair.

"No. It is not, Chihiro." He answered finally.

He was so very sad she sat up and reached towards him, "You're sad again…  
Why're you so sad?"

"Because you are leaving." He answered quietly, bowing his head.

"Um… Can't you come with me?"

Abruptly he was looking at her askance as if it hadn't occurred to him  
to follow. His hair looked eerily green in the moonlight flooding  
through the window, ragged and tangled as if he had been traveling hard.  
There was a maple leaf stuck in it. Chihiro stared at it a moment before  
pointing.

"You've got a leaf in your hair."

Blushed brightly, he hastily swept a hand over his head until it fell free.

"So you'll come to Tokyo?" Chihiro pressed, "You're a dream after all;  
you can go anywhere you want."

He continued smoothing his hair even though the leaf was gone, caught  
between hope and fear.

"You said you cannot wait for the things you cannot remember."

Chihiro blinked with a sharp frown, "I wasn't talking about you!"

Her dream was suddenly on his feet as a breeze went blowing through the  
room, chasing away the heat. Chihiro watched him with awe as he stood  
with grace that wasn't possible. Reluctantly she obeyed as he gently  
urged her back against the pillow, tucking her in as she shivered with  
something that had nothing to do with cold.

"Go to sleep, Chihiro," he murmured softy.

"Don't go yet," she caught his cloak, making him sit beside her.

As he studied her face his jade eyes showed eerily in the dark as they  
poured down on her like water.

"I love you Chihiro," he whispered in a voice that made her insides  
sing, "Please do not forget that."

Sitting up, Chihiro reached for him as he tried to withdraw, "Promise  
you'll come with me?"

He paused reluctantly then nodded.

"I promise."

Still he lingered and longing saturated his ivory face until he leaned  
over her, becoming the moon as his pale skin caught the light. Just  
being near him sent her whole body trembling with powerful needs. Her  
insides jolted as his shockingly warm hands smoothed over her brow.  
There was dirt under his nails but she didn't care as he drew close. Her  
dream's breath broke over her face as she sat up to meet him.

Then the door to her room opened with a squeak.

Someone gasped as another violent wind went tearing through the room,  
tangling the curtains over her bed. Chihiro sat bolt upright, cringing  
in confusion as a light flicked on overhead. Michio came rushing over,  
practically trampling her in her haste to slam the window shut.

"What the hell, Michi?" Chihiro murmured groggily, suddenly wide awake.

She had been having the nicest dream.

Recently she couldn't remember anything let alone her dreams.

A bit red in the face, she remembered this one just a tiny, tiny bit.

"I… I though I saw something…!" Her friend was peering out the window.  
Her face was white and intense in the moonlight.

"See what?" Chihiro yawned in distraction.

Michi locked the window and jerked the curtains shut. The pane rattled  
loudly, whistling and moaned like the sound effects in an old monster movie.

"N-nothing... It's nothing."

Suddenly Michio went very still as her eyes fell on something.

Leaning over the edge of the bed she picked a maple leaf up off the floor. 

* * *

HAKU

At the foot of the hinoki tree Haku struggled to control himself.

Michio had seen him again.

It was not good but he did not care to think on it.

He was too upset by other things.

The umbrella Onsen had given him lay in the dirt beside the empty stone  
houses beneath the torii gate where he had thrown it. He could no longer  
fly, but with the western style parasol in hand he became light as  
dandelion dander and could float up or down depending on the way he  
directed his wind. That was how he made his way to the roof and then  
into Chihiro's room. But at the moment he gave the mistrals free reign.  
A riotous whirlwind ripped around him in response to his agitation,  
whistling and whipping the branches of the old cypress as he pacing back  
and forth. Again elation and despair tore his heart in two as Haku sank  
to his knees.

She remembered him and yet she did not. There was hope but not the kind  
he expected. Chihiro had given up trying to remember what the curse  
withheld. She wished to move on and leave behind what she could not  
bring. And he could not begrudge her this choice. What that meant for  
the Onsen and the other Bath House kami Haku did not know. What mattered  
most was she wanted him to follow.

Filled with purpose he picked up the umbrella and sprinted the old road,  
kicking up a wind as he sped into the woods. In no time he found the  
thicket obscured clearing in which they had hidden the motorcycle. He  
should not have been surprised to find Cinna was gone. Where the cat  
went he had no idea, but there were three over-ripe persimmons on the  
seat. Leaving the umbrella in the side car, Haku came back out to the  
road and sat on the soft carpet of leaves in the roots of a large maple.  
Forcing himself to eat one of the mushy fruit he stared up at patches of  
sky showing between the trees wondering what kind of place this Tokyo was.

He quickly grew distracted as it was the height of Kami Hour (1).

Mushi mixed in thick droves among the fireflies, swirling and winking in  
the dark. Movement caught his eyes, but it was only Tsukumonogami (2).  
The animated trash milled in the thick underbrush. He caught a broken  
tea pot peering at him. The bulbous creature waddled on fat legs like a  
stork, pausing from time to time to search for food in the refuse pile,  
snuffling with its spout as if it were a nose. In doing so it dislodged  
a stream of rainwater, stirring up a chittering pair of split chopsticks  
that went stalking away to hide under the sagging bulk of a rotting  
futon. It shuddered as if tickled, twitching as a single sandal inched  
its way across its bulk like a caterpillar.

The creatures fled the full moon as a breeze stirred the trees, sending  
pools dipped through the gloom. An owl screeched distantly as nearby the  
brook babbled away, reminding him of the laughing stream in front of the  
Onsen. His keen eyes picked out the small creatures scampered in the  
undergrowth. Their tiny masks peered at him with familiar reflective  
eyes. His heart eased to know that in spite of the devastation further  
up the hill the woods still held life. So engulfed was he in his  
thoughts that he did not hear the harried approach of the tanuki (3)  
until the fat little creature hurtled by.

The kami held himself somewhere between man and animal, running on two  
legs and wearing an antiquated sleeveless coat as he carried a bushel of  
rice like a baby. The young God almost tripped on his tail as he caught  
sight of Haku, skittering to a halt and gaping in utter panic.

"W-whatever you are, run!" The fellow gasped, "They're chasing me for  
this rice but they mean to eat me as well! Run or they'll eat you too!"

Haku blinked, finding himself at a loss. It had been ages since he had  
spoken with a kami unknown to him. He had assumed these woods to be  
abandoned by greater kami but apparently not so. Having given his  
warning, the kami took off towards the deep wood. On his feet, Haku  
stared after the raccoon in utter confusion.

Who was trying to eat him?

At once the world went silent as dread crept through the trees. Not even  
the crickets dared to chirp. One by one the mushi winked out of  
existence. Haku's senses sharpened as he felt a change come creeping  
through the earth. Old and wild magic seeped through the cobbled stones  
like cold water. Looking toward the way the tanuki came he watched a  
shadow gathered into existence from the mists pouring out of the trees.

The looming Oni (4) was nearly as tall as the maple, stinking strongly  
like swamp. He blew a steaming blast from his ring pierced nose, baring  
needled teeth as he glared with piggish yellow eyes. The ogre's bulky  
frame rippled with muscles and the thick iron rings around his wrists  
clanged and clattered like temple bells. Red as blood and greasy with  
sweat, he hefted his club, scratching with a three fingered claw at the  
waistband of his tiger skin loin-cloth. Taken aback, Haku stared in  
surprise. Oni lived high in the mountains. What was this creature doing  
here amongst the houses of humankind?

"You," the red Oni addressed him in a voice like grinding granite, "You  
are too thin for me to trouble with. Tell me where the tanuki went and I  
shall spare you."

"He'sssss not too thin for me."

Another voice hissed from the shadows as a blue Oni peeled itself from  
his brother's shadow. Much smaller and thinner than his sibling, the  
yokai (5) licked its lizard lips, looking him up and down with red eyes  
as if appraising how many bites he constituted. In his claws it carried  
an enormous mallet, the haft of which he wrung between his fingers in  
anticipation.

"Tell us where the tanuki went!" the red ogre boomed impatiently, "Else  
we shall eat you instead."

"This is not your territory, Oni-sama," Haku was unimpressed by the  
ogre's threat, "Why have you left your mountains?"

"Eh?" The blue oni drew back in surprise only to laugh in a hoarse sound  
like the hissing of running sand, nudging his brother with a hideous  
grin, "Hah, hah, hah! Ain't he polite?"

"We are Oni!" The red brother proudly clapped a clench fist against his  
chest, making his bracelets ring, "The witch that kept this road is dead  
and the Forgotten have disappeared we can go where we want."

"Yeah! It's ours now and we require tribute from anyone who passes!"  
Blue brother hiss as greed lit up his eyes, "Pay up or I'll eat you!"

Ah, so that was it. Yubaba had placed stone statues throughout the woods  
leading to the gateway between the worlds to make sure customers were  
not troubled by petty thieves like these Oni. The magic must have worn  
off, leaving lesser kami traveling to the gate at the mercy of whatever  
riff-raff gathered in the woods.

"This road belongs to no one, Oni-sama," Haku returned coldly, "You  
should go back to your mountain where you belong."

"W-why you puny little…!"

He sputtered, taking a step forward hefting his mallet. But red Oni  
stopped him, cautiously snuffled the air like a pig rooting for  
truffles. Abruptly he recoiled with a sneeze, pointing at Haku with his  
club.

"You stink like human."

"Humans!" Blue oni pulled a face, "Yuck! I don't eat humans!"

"I am not a human," Haku answered indignantly.

"You smell human so that makes you human," Red oni snarled in a low  
voice full of disgust as he hefted his club, "I hate humans. You tear  
down our trees and forget to pay your tribute to our shrines. You chase  
us away every year with nasty red beans (6). Well tonight we chase you  
with out clubs, human!"

Fleet footed on a wind of his making, Haku whirled aside as red brother  
swung his iron club. The impact sent a shower of stones and dirt fly  
through the air, jolted up the surrounding trees and sending them  
creaking and swaying. Lifting the club as though it weighed nothing red  
oni stepped aside only to reveal his brother. Blue oni melted out of his  
shadow with deceptive swiftness, swinging low his wooden mallet.

Again Haku swam through the air, bending his way round the ogre's club  
as it went sailing by. Blue Oni face twisted with shock and dismay as he  
struggled to stop the mallet. But he was caught up in his own momentum  
and the weapon smashed into his brother's face. Red Oni fell like a  
thunderclap, sending a tremor rocking through the woods as the dust cleared.

"Brother, you okay!" Blue Oni cried in dismay, shaking his sibling's  
up-tucked knee. The prone creature let out a moan. His lizard face  
twisted with fury as he picked up his mallet, "M'gonna smash you to a  
pulp!"

Planting his feet firmly, Haku dropped into a low stand and blew over  
his pinched fingers, setting free a piercing gale that snatched the ogre  
from his feet and threw him backwards. Like his brother Blue Oni went  
down hard, rocking the bowl of the woods as he bounced over the lip the  
embankment only to splash down, submerging in the thick mud of the now  
laughing brook. Coughing and gagging, the lizardish yokai sat up out of  
the muck as Haku looked over the lip.

But he caught the tell-tale flick of the ogre's sly red eyes as they  
flicked behind him. Leaping high, propelled by a whipping gust, Haku  
back flipped over Red Oni as his iron club missed him entirely. As he  
arced over the yokai's head Haku watched with satisfaction as the heavy  
weapon's momentum yanked the ogre forward over the cliff. With a squeal  
at odds with his size, Red Oni teetered on the edge before tumbling down  
the slope into the mud beside his brother.

"Have we finished our quarrel, Oni-sama?" Haku inquired with cold  
indifference as he stood at the top of the hill.

"Yes, great Lord!" Together they cringed

"Go back to your mountains, Oni-sama," Haku commanded.

"Yes, great Lord!" The ogres repeated meekly, looking small and pathetic  
as they struggling to stand in the deep mud.

Turning away he let the yokai regain their dignity by leaving them to  
retreat unwatched. Walking down the old road towards the gate, Haku  
scanned the woods for the stone guardians and found one covered with  
moss. Picking his way between the brambles and ferns, Haku peeled the  
green turf away and inspected the statue. The guardian was empty;  
whatever spirit had inhabited it was long gone. Haku was unprepared for  
the pang of sadness that tightened in his chest at the discovery, just  
as he was unprepared for the urge to protect the woods that drove him to  
confront the Oni. Casting his eyes down the road Haku caught a glimpse  
of red among the trees.

This was not his home. It had not been his home for some time.

Why then did he long to see what was no longer there?

"You were amazing, sir!"

Whirling in utter surprise, Haku found the tanuki standing in the middle  
of the road still cradling the bag of rice like it was his first born  
son. The kami was all eyes in the dark as a wind eddied around him,  
rustling the branches of the trees overhead.

"Not since the days of Momotaro has a human given Oni such a licking!"

Haku frowned sharply as his insides went cold with fury, "I am not a human!"

Again a confused mess of feelings welled up in his too small chest. Did  
he not just avow beneath the hinoki tree to take a human name and live  
as a human? Why then was he so affronted by being called human by kami?  
Haku had not expected to find such lingering prejudice in himself for  
mortal kind. The dichotomy was utterly baffling and he did not wish to  
think on it. Lithely dropping down the hill, Haku hit the cobble stones  
and stalked away, heading for the flash of red. Unfortunately the tanuki  
followed.

"Forgive me, great sir! I meant no offense!" Bowing and bowing as he  
followed, keeping his head low as if a peasant before a lord, the  
raccoon chatted away, "I am a lowly tanuki and not a master of magic as  
you evidently are."

"I am no master of magic either," Haku threw back sourly, wishing the  
bakemono (7) would leave him alone.

"Forgive me for asking, great sir; you see I am ever so curious. If you  
are not a human, then what are you?"

Haku came up short as the rounded the corner and the great red wall  
loomed before him. The both fell silent in front of the grinning stone  
guardians that stood fearlessly before the yawning mouth of the dark  
tunnel. It breathed in, pulling air from the mortal realm over into the  
Spirit World, plucking at his clothes and making his insides circle  
uneasily. Magic thrummed through the stones beneath his feet even  
through the walls of the gate were made of mortal plaster.

At great expense of magic Yubaba had created this gate ages ago to make  
the way easier for customers and to bring coal the coal needed to  
produce mortal fire for heating the baths. Such gateways were rare and  
were vital to lesser kami who did not possess enough magic to make a way  
for themselves. Haku once had such magic, but not anymore. Again his  
chest proved too small and the painful emotions reaching up into his  
throat and squeezed. Standing there before the gate, Haku grieved for  
the loss of himself.

"Do you know what lies that way, great sir?"

The tanuki simpered, trying to earn his favor. For a moment the creature  
reminded Haku of Aniyaku, which only served to annoy him more. Still, he  
wanted to hear what the fellow knew.

"This gate once led to a great bath house overseen by a powerful witch.  
Rumor has it she didn't purify pollutions properly and stored the evils  
inside her castle until they smashed their way thru and devoured her whole."

This he already knew, but Haku found himself wanting to hear the story  
from another, "What became of the town?"

"So you've been here before?"

The tanuki's face fell, revealing a glimpse of something else, something  
eager. Hastily it hid away behind his vacant grin, continuing before  
Haku could take notice.

"Once the Forgotten went away the town on this side of the river came  
back into business. Nobody goes on the other side 'cause it's too  
haunted. You'll probably not find this side to your liking. Without the  
witch to oversee things, it's a bit... rough."

"I see." Haku tried not to sound too interested in hearing more.

The tanuki nodded toward the north, "The earth's angry because of the  
construction on the human side. Kicks up a lot of angry spirits like the  
Oni. We're all scrambling to keep what we can, so everyone's trying to  
be the boss of this place."

"Have the Gods grown so greedy?"

"We gotta eat, don't we?" The tanuki laughed as he hefted his bag of  
rice, "The humans don't tithe at the local shrines like the used to. So  
we make a business out of trading for food with the kami who come and go."

"We?" Haku glanced at the bag of rice then at the raccoon.

"My brothers and sisters keep a shop on the other side," he jabbed his  
finger at the tunnel before once again bowing low, "Please accept my  
hospitality."

At the mention of food Haku's world narrowed to the cavernous emptiness  
inside his stomach. In truth he was famished, but pride could not let  
him admit such a thing. But even the promise of a food could not easily  
coax him through the tunnel. Seeing what had become of the woods was  
awful enough. He did not want to see what had become of the town that  
had once been his home.

"You are kind to offer but I could not impose."

"You would not be imposing, great sir; it's the least I could do. After  
all, if you hadn't been here I'm quite sure the Oni would've eaten me!  
We don't have much but I'm sure my sisters could put on a feast by our  
standards."

Again the promise of food gave Haku pause. If it truly was a feast he  
could bring back a proper meal for Cinna, one he had earned rather than  
stolen.

"Please, great sir," the tanuki was bowing again, beckoning as he  
entered the tunnel, "It is not far."

"I know." Haku pronounced as he followed into the pressing darkness.

"So you have been here before, great sir." It was not a question this  
time, and the tanuki's eyes flashed like mirrors in the dark.

"Once I called this place home." Haku replied in distraction, shuddering  
as the chill of magic washed over him, leaving him saturated with  
humming tingles

"Truly!" The tanuki was excited now.

"Why are you so taken with the bath house?" Haku returned his question  
for a question, confused by the creature's interest in the broken shell.

"Rumor has it there is a great deal of treasure hidden inside. The witch  
was terribly greedy, you see. But it's such a shattered mess no one  
knows where to look. Besides, like I said, it's terribly haunted. Green  
Oni went over not long back and never came back."

They were almost to the other side now. And as they went the raccoon  
slowly shed his county bumpkin affectations. An ember of unease curled  
its way through Haku's chest as they left the tunnel and passed into the  
station house. The circular stained glass windows had been smashed out,  
letting glowing light spill inside. Glowing through the main archway a  
fireworks display of green, yellow, and red threw an aurora of color  
against the black night sky. In the distance, beyond the roves of the  
rack-shamble buildings, Haku could see the flat black plain of the  
midnight river. Beyond it were endlessly dark hills.

Here the tanuki paused, looking back at him with sharp interest from  
beneath the black mask surrounding his eyes.

"By chance did you work at the bath house?"

"Yes. I did."

It did not occur to Haku to lie; he was so distracted by the sorrow  
inspired in him by the familiar surroundings. He had not expected such a  
reaction. Immediately he regretted following the tanuki

"I should not have come here," Haku choked, hastily turning towards the  
tunnel, "Thank you again for your offer but I must decline."

Haku's knees smashed against the floor as something hit the back of his  
head so hard his vision dissolved into stars. His head followed his  
knees shortly, bouncing off the tiles as his body filled to the brim  
with heavy paralyzing pain. An ocean rushed and hissed in his ears,  
freezing his insides with terror as he slipped away beneath the cold  
surface of unconsciousness; but not before hearing the tanuki laugh  
slyly from somewhere above.

"Oh, but you can't go now, great sir," he chortled ominously, "My  
brothers and sisters are waiting."

* * *

Chapter Notes:

(1) In Japanese folklore the witching hour is later than midnight, more  
like 2 or 3AM.

(2) Tsukumonogami = artifact thing gods. The word is a pun and sounds  
like 99-year Gods. The Japanese believe that on the eve of its 100  
anniversary objects come alive and gain souls, hence Cinna's haunted  
shamisen. Apparently modern objects like cell phones and other  
electronics can't become tsukumonogami because yokai (see note 6) hate  
electricity, which is the reason why they've become almost extinct in  
the modern age.

(3) Tanuki = raccoon dogs. These are the most common shape shifter  
animals from Japanese folklore beside the fox. Although usually harmless  
tricksters, they have a darker side. Pom Poko by Studio Ghibli does a  
great job depicting them. Watch it or read more about Tanuki online for  
more info.

(4) Oni roughly translates to ogre in the folklore sense. When you begin  
talking about them in terms of religion, such as Buddhism, they often  
take on the role of demons. In this case of my story think of them as  
Japanese trolls.

(5) Yokai = monsters. Yurei = ghosts. Both are types of kami. For a  
quick discussion of the types and social strata, see my presentation  
notes at the Onsen.

(6) Part of the New Year celebrations involve chasing Oni away by  
throwing red beans, which they apparently cannot stand.

(7) Obake or bakamono literally translates to "thing that changes." It  
includes animal shape shifters and tsukumonogami.


	3. Chapter 3

LIN

Bent over the ancient pine veranda, Lin scrubbed in the early morning light.  
It was so cold she had been forced to put on a padded happi coat.  
As the days grew shorter as the heat of August gave way to September. A  
heavy mist hung over the Onsen smelling strongly of the ocean in the dim  
twilight. It obscured the cars in the parking lot, letting her imagine  
if only for a moment that they had the house to themselves.

That was an impossibility. They were booked solid thru New Years.

Money was rolling in along with reservation requests. The waiting list  
was growing so long Amano advised that raise their rates. Which they  
did, and yet the reservations still came in droves, until sick of  
chasing ringing bells, Lin instituted a rule of unplugging the phone  
outside of normal business hours. Additionally, they had opened a small  
gift shop in one of the guest rooms, again at Amano's recommendation.  
Here, ironically, they sold Spirited Away merchandise, movies, and of  
course, Sen's book. These they could hardly keep in stock. Lin avoided  
the shop at all costs. It was unnerving to see herself represented in  
children's toys and other trifles.

Over a single week they earned enough money to pay their debts, begin  
paying Amano a wage unheard of for the region, all on top of beginning  
substantial savings. With the surplus Yoshi managed to plan a late  
garden, which Amano gladly put to use in the kitchen. Besides room and  
board, they were doing excellent business selling local crafts and goods  
as omiyage (1). Through the kind faced grocery clerk named Naniko Lin  
was able to offer jams & jellies, plum wine, canned lobster, indigo  
cloth, charms from the temple and other local products made by the  
townsfolk.

The rest of Kumomi was doing good business as well. Almost overnight it  
had transformed into a tourist town thanks to a series of articles  
written about the Onsen and the festival, all written by Professor  
Saito. The mortal had stayed with them briefly, but he had taken a  
vigorous interest in the Onsen, and subsequently Kumomi. Lin made sure  
his reservations were always accepted. He tried to make the trip from  
Yokohama at least twice a month. Apparently he was working on a book  
about the region; something else they would gladly sell in their shop  
once it was published.

Thanks to the professor's hard work, Natsumi had begun keeping a  
scrapbook of all the clippings. Why she did so baffled Lin, it seemed  
like such a human thing to do. But the old yuna took pride in their  
home, just as she took pride in the performances they offered at the  
Onsen. Music, dance, and comic interlude were part and parcel of dinners  
and everyone pitched in to help. Aniyaku had quite a following, but more  
than anything the guests loved to hear Suzume play his flute. He did so  
only if she sang, the stupid fox. Lin hated singing, but she loved  
listening to him play. So did Lady Nikkou.

For the old woman's sake Lin sang at least once a week. It was the one  
thing that could coax her down from her room to take diner in the great  
room with the other guests. Lady Reika spoke little, ate little; she  
barely smiled even when Kai sat next to her. Her sunny vibrance was  
totally eclipsed by mourning, and with each meal Lin grew more and more  
frightened that she was going to disappear into smoke. She already  
looked like ghost at the head of the table wearing the complete black of  
deep morning. Although Lin's apprehension was nothing compared to Suzume's.  
She saw less and less of him, but begrudged none of his absence.  
Lin knew what was coming; it was only a question of when.

To make matters worse it had been nearly a week and still no word.  
Not a letter, nor a phone call had come.  
The red tile remained firmly fixed to the back of Sen's bedroom door.

Abruptly Lin paused over the steaming bucket of mop water as an  
overwhelming sense of queasiness welled in her gut. It was so sharp she  
dropped her brush and rushed for the brook. Crouched in the grass under  
the bridge, she emptied her stomach of the perfectly good dinner Amano  
cooked last night, annoyed and confused by the waste. The same thing had  
happened yesterday morning. But as she scooped a handful of water to  
rinse her mouth, Lin came up short as a thought occurred to her.  
Straightening, she steadied herself on the unpinning of the bridge,  
watching the water rush by, counting back the days again and again. Each  
time the math came up the same.

Putting her only hand on her stomach, Lin struggled to slow her breathing.  
Because she was pregnant.

She blinked, pushing the thought away, craning her neck as a familiar  
motor puttered closer and closer in the distance. Climbing up onto the  
bridge Lin watched as Amano's bike melted out of the mists. Lin frowned  
as she noted two people instead of one. School was back in session so  
Kai had stopped coming with his father except for the weekends.

But it was Wednesday; Kai was in school.  
And understanding dawned on Lin as Kiri climbed off the bike.

When Kiri and Chihiro were still in the hospital; after Kai fell asleep  
on the cushions in the great room; after Amano had helped Lin clean the  
kitchen from ceiling rafters to tiled floor; the broken nosed man  
produced a bottle of scotch and proceeded to get drunk instead of going  
home. While he sat in the nook emptying the bottle, in the quietest of  
whispers he reluctantly told tale of what happened after she and Haku  
left with Hidé to chase the Forgotten. The arrow Lady Nikkou used to  
force the dark from Kiri was no ordinary arrow. It passed right through  
Kiri, and as promised, struck her dead.

She was dead when the ambulance brought her to the hospital.  
But when she left the hospital Kiri was alive.

That day she moved in with Amano; because Keiichi had refused to let her  
come home. It was quite the scandal in town. All kinds of reasons were  
gossiping back and forth; but Lin knew the truth. The priest wasn't  
entirely stupid when it came to otherworldly things. His refusal wasn't  
based entirely in petty anger. Somewhere in his subconscious Keiichi  
knew that something wasn't right with his sister. You couldn't survive  
unscathed what Kiri had endured.

Amano, however, didn't care in the slightest. Lin watched the changes in  
Amano from the day Kiri came into his home. The human smiled more,  
laughed more; there was lightness in his step that had not been there  
before. Even now he kept close to her as the former temple maiden  
removed her helmet, revealing she had cut her hair quite short. The grey  
was gone, dyed into obscurity; another sign that she was no longer  
living at the temple. Already Lin could see the strangeness in her, a  
touch of wild magic that would never fade.

It would unnerve most mortals, but at the Onsen such a mark was almost  
standard.

"I think mom would be happy, don't you?" Kai had commented out of the  
blue as he helped her sweep the front porch after diner yesterday,  
"She'd want Dad to be happy."

Lin had never known Manami, so she could not comment.  
Without a word Lin stood in the middle of the bridge as Amano led Kiri  
to the opposite side. They were both solemn faced and wide eyed with  
apprehension, dressed in what looked to be their best clothes. And Lin  
found herself staring at Kiri. The poor woman couldn't even meet her  
eyes. She was shaking visibly, so much so Amano put his arm around her  
shoulders. All the same Lin knew with intuition that transcended race.  
Kiri was pregnant.

"We're gettin' married." Amano announced with quiet pride.

But his voice cracked like a nervous adolescents. Lin had to struggle  
not to snort, because the pair of they were quite cute in spite of their  
predicament. Without hesitating Lin motioned them across the bridge.

"Congratulations."

Bowing in unison they hurried across, loitering nervously in front of  
the Onsen. With a sympathetic frown Lin tried to catch Kiri's eyes.

"I can't lie; Suzume's not gonna be happy you're here."

That was an understatement. In many ways the fox blamed Kiri for what  
had happened. It was true, she had deliberately gone looking for a way  
into the spirit world under some stupid impression that magic would help  
make Hidé love her. Kiri had been dead wrong. But as far as Lin was  
concerned the poor thing had been punished enough for her stupidity.  
Unfortunately, Suzume was not going to agree. Stupid, stupid fox…

"I-I know," Kiri stammered, still too afraid to look up, "B-but we'd  
like t'tell Obasama together… please?"

She added the last bit as an appeal for help.  
Lin pursed her lips, finding Kiri to be far too skinny.

"You need to feed her more, Amano-san," with that she sighed gustily,  
pinching her nose, "It's early and we have guests so he won't be able to  
throw his usual tantrum."

His faced drained of color, "W-what d'you mean by… uh… usual?"

Lin had to remind herself how hard it was for humans to live among Gods.  
The same was true in reverse.

"That's for me to worry about," she reassured him, turning to Kiri, "The  
moment you set foot on the porch he's going to know you're here. No  
matter what happens you keep moving. Take the back stairs. "

"O-okay," Kiri stammered, looking a bit faint.

Again they bowed in gratitude, making her sigh in exasperation. Hastily  
she motioned them towards the front door.

"Ready?"

They hesitated, seeming ready to bolt back the other way; then they nodded.

"Go!"

As they rushed inside Lin followed closely, stepping on their shadows to  
try and hide them as long as she could. But a door overhead flew open  
and closed just as Onsen let out a warning chime.

"Keep going!" Lin hissed, pushing them towards the split curtain.

Whirling, she faced the front stairs as they filled with a darkness that  
seemed to spill down the walls like sumi ink. With flaming eyes and  
sooty robes Suzume flowed down from the upper level in a silent rage  
that sent the air crackling with burning orbs of foxfire. A  
flicker of fear started up in Lin's heart faced by his blind fury. It  
sharpened as the fox looked right through her, attention fixed with  
predatorial acuity on Kiri's back. He'd hurt her before in a similar  
state, which made it all that much more important that she prevent him  
from getting to Kiri.

Kiri must have looked back because a gasp issued from somewhere behind her.  
Gods above, why did they always look back!

Suzume's handsome face went bleak at the sound and recognition sharpened  
his burning gaze. As his thin lips drew back into a snarl, revealing  
sharp teeth, he surged forward ignoring her completely, which was  
exactly what Lin was hoping for. Widely planting her feet on the floor,  
she caught him by the front of his robe and hauled him around. She  
shoved him across her outstretched leg, throwing him off balance,  
hurtling him to the floor so fiercely the furniture in the great room  
jolted up off the ground. Furious red replaced black and his sleeves  
actually caught fire as he struggled to sit up, still looking down the  
hallway where Kiri and Amano had disappeared.

"I will not have her in this house!" He snared in a voice that was  
barely human.

Anchoring herself in the Onsen with deep roots of magic, Lin pinned him  
in place with her knee, holding him down. Then she grabbed his chin,  
forcefully turning his face so he was looking into her eyes. As if they  
were made of stone, she dropped the words slowly, one by one.

"I'm pregnant."

They hit him like boulders, knocking all color from his body, leaving  
him bleached with surprise. His foxfires extinguished in a wind that  
seemed to hit the room as he blinked rapidly. The fox went perfectly  
still as he stared up at her with gold eyes so wide they could have  
swallowed her whole.

"W-what…?" He choked on the word, barely forced it free.

Taking one of his hands, Lin flattened it on the wall of her stomach,  
repeating her words far more gently; because it was unkind of her to  
tell him in this way.

"I'm pregnant, Suzume," Lin repeated.

There was a shake in her voice. Suddenly she was shaking all over,  
sitting back onto the tatami as all her strength dissolved, making her  
feel brittle and light. Because this was not the first time she'd been  
pregnant. Ages ago, before she'd lived long enough to become a God, she  
had many children. But she'd lost them all to traps and clubs.

There was blood on the snow in her memories.  
Blood on the snow.

"Hiyashimi! Hiyashimi, look at me!" Suzume commanded in a quiet voice,  
wrenching her from the past. Pinched and pale with worry, he was holding  
her so tightly it hurt. Staring at him she found herself again, found  
words for what she was feeling.

"I know you're angry, but don't let your anger make you cruel. Don't let  
it withhold Kiri from Reika, especially when they have so very little left."

Once again struck by her words, Suzume dropped his face beneath a weight  
of shame as he vacillated between rage and despair. Slowly he composed  
himself, gathering her close so she was resting her nose against the  
soft skin of his neck. Breathing in the spicy smell of camphor, Lin  
burrowed her face there, wrapping her only arm around his waist as they  
held each other.

"You are right, Hiyashimi." He murmured contritely in the gentle voice  
that belonged only to her.

Lin was stunned by his admission. But she was further stunned as one of  
his blackened hands returned to her belly with timid gentleness tempered  
by awe.

"How far are you?"

Instantly her face lit on fire and Lin felt a fool for being so bashful.

"Not long. I… I think perhaps it was that time there."

Hesitantly she nodded at the tatami mats on the other side of the great  
table. Suzume laughed, slapping a hand over his mouth to stifle the  
sound. Lin pulled a moue as her face grew hotter and hotter.

"Why are you laughing?" She demanded sullenly.

"Because I shall never see this room the same again."

His light answer gave her the courage to ask.

"Are you happy?"

Lin glanced up only to find Suzume was glowing. His kimono had turned to  
gold as his eyes shined like twin stars. It was his face, however, that  
held her. He had shared with her his body and soul. He had even spoken  
the word aloud. But never had he looked at her with such open affection.  
She nearly melted beneath its intensity.

"Twins." Suzume pronounced, beaming with pride.

Lin gaped, "H-how do you know that?"

The fox's smile went sly as he returned his hand to her stomach, "I am a  
God, beloved. And do not forget that O-Inari-sama is also the Goddess of  
fertility."

They both jumped guiltily as Lady Nikkou called from the front stairs.

"Suzume!"

Abruptly he was on his feet and into the hall; leaving her behind to a  
world that seemed dark in his absence. If only for a moment Lin was  
furious; furious with Reika for stealing this moment, furious with  
Suzume for leaving her so abruptly. But she carefully mastered her  
jealously as Suzume's worried voice filtered down the hall.

"Reika, what is it!"

On her feet, Lin followed only to find the fox had faded indigo blue  
with worry as he hovered at the base of the stairs. Again a stab of  
resentment punched through her heart as she found the God holding the  
old woman's hands, carefully leading her down the last of the steps.  
Even though she was barely dressed, Lady Nikkou was smiling so  
completely she filled the stairwell with her happiness.

"Oh-ho-ho! I have wonderful news!"

It had been so long since she'd had heard that laugh.  
But as Reika embraced him joyfully Suzume lit up, but not because of the  
news. Lin closed her eyes and turned away as her heart went cold. She  
couldn't look at them when they were like this. Perhaps it was good that  
she was made of stone. It was the only way she could endure Suzume as  
she did.

"Come down children! Don't hide!"

The old woman scolded lightheartedly as she called up to the second  
story where Kiri and Amano were no doubt hiding. As the front stairs  
creaked as Lin fled through the split curtain into the kitchen. She sank  
to a seat on the top step listening to the happiness that she had helped  
into existence at her own expense.

"You are welcome in this house," Suzume asserted gravely, "Congratulations."

Lin sat bolt upright at the last word. She coiled with waiting,  
listening intently for something that did not come. And a seed of doubt  
sprouted in her heart as suddenly something fell down her cheek. It took  
her a moment to realize she was crying. Hastily Lin dried her cheeks as  
she realized Onsen was fretting around her feet.

"Stop that," she admonished the house, "I hate it when you spy."

Onsen creaked and settled uncomfortably, still obviously upset.  
Almost silent footsteps approached from the God Wing. Lin looked up as  
Natsumi peered inside through a crack in the back slider. Her wood smoke  
hair was bound up in a tight bun and her indigo sleeves were already  
bound up for work. They all wore the Onsen's kimono now, even Aniyaku,  
and they did so with pride. The only one who didn't was Suzume.

Instantly she was scowling, and she caught Natsumi watching her from the  
corner of her overly large eyes. The old yuna's gaze seemed to look  
right through her and with a chill Lin wondered just how much the slug  
woman saw. Almost challengingly Lin met Natsumi's gaze as the yuna came  
into the kitchen with a bow and a carefully light smile.

"Good morning."

Lin forced herself to be civil. "Morning."

But Lin cringed as Lady Nikkou laughed again in the distance. She did  
not want to admit that she did not like the old woman. Not because  
Suzume loved her; not because the witch had come close to killing her  
when she threatened Kiri's life; but because in many ways the old woman  
was still a child. Reika took for granted what she had because she had  
never known life without, just like she lament what she had lost without  
being grateful what was still afforded her. Again, these were ugly  
thoughts and Lin had no right to think them. With a sigh she looked at,  
Natsumi, who was frowning with an ear cocked at the hall.

"What's all this?"

"There is cause for celebration," Lin answered woodenly.

She found her feet and strode for the back door.  
Snatching up a basket she turned her eyes on the distant plum trees.

"Finish scrubbing the front porch for me? I'll be in the back fields."

* * *

HAKU

Haku flinched as he dwindled on the edge of awake.

Unfortunately awake meant hurting a great deal.

"He's waking up!" A worried voice hushed.

"That's good. I was beginnin' t'think you hit him too hard…"

"How long's he been out?"

"About a day."

Gah… The shrill voices twittered back and forth, filling his head with  
painful scratching words as if his skull had filled to the brim with  
birds. But the last voice was familiar. Why was the voice familiar? It  
stirred embers of fury out of the dark cauldron that held his instincts,  
because something was wrong; very, very wrong.

"That's a long time!" Another gasped.

"Not really. Remember humans bounce back slower than Kami."

Human…? Who was human?

At once everything returned in a rush: the fight with the Oni; the trip  
through the tunnel; the tanuki's betrayal. Haku jerked his head upright  
only to have agony burn through the tight space behind his yes. Oh, it  
seared, feeling close to bursting. The insides of his skull sloshed  
painfully, especially at the back where a throbbing heat pulsed.  
Blinking rapidly, trying to see through the sparklers clouding his  
vision, Haku struggled to stand up only to find he could not. His arms  
and legs would not obey. Heavy and useless, they lay rigid about him  
like blocks of wood.

"Whoops! Get back! Remember he knows magic." The tanuki counseled as he  
resolved in a fat blot a brown from all the searing brightness.

Dressed in a kimono that could not decide if was stripped or spotted the  
fellow sported an eboshi hat tipped to a jaunty angle like some kind of  
wizard's cap. In his hand he held a long leash that led back to Haku's  
neck. And there was something around his neck, something heavy and cold.

"I though you said the collar makes it so he can't work magic?"

Haku threw his eyes at the female because he could not turn his head.  
Behind the male was a female tanuki done up in a lively green kimono  
printed with orange maple leaves. She wore gaudy make-up that made her  
look a clown. The paint kept changing as if she could not make up her  
mind: blue or green? Pink or orange?

"That's right. He has no free will. He'll do anything you tell him as  
long as you're holding the leash."

Haku was already still as stone, so could only stare as disbelief as the  
chilling revelation sent his blood pumping through his veins like ice.  
In a panic he tried to lift his hands to pull at it but failed, because  
magic surged from the thing, seeping through his skin and veins until it  
throbbed inside his bones.

"Where'd you get it?" Another tanuki gasped in disbelief.

Struggling to stay conscious, Haku blinked rapidly to clear his graying  
gaze only to find this female much fatter than her sister. She wore a  
hideous pink with kimono with white cherry blossoms that bulged at the  
seams.

"It must be powerful magic!"

"It is powerful magic, sissy." The fat tanuki preened, turning his hat  
into a fan so he could waft himself proudly (2), "I traded it from that  
ratty-tatty-Tengu."

"The drunk one?" Green sister made a moue of distaste.

"He was more interested in sake than the collar. Said he'd used it to  
keep an Oni as a watchdog. If it can hold Oni it can hold him,"  
Brother Tanuki handing his sister the leash, "Here… Give it a try."

The female took the leash reluctantly then yanked it timidly, "Get up!"

Haku was on his feet before he realized he had stood. He tried to  
protest only to find he could not speak. He could only comply as again  
she tugged.

"Sit!"

His knees folded like paper, knocking against the floor painfully as  
fright sharp and cold bloom in his gut. Because the thing around his  
neck was exuding a commanding force that gathered in the tips of his  
fingers and toes, turning them to lead as he dwindled on the edge of  
fainting from fear. Because his heart was hammering so very fast and the  
air had suddenly gone thin….

"Oh, this is fun!" She laughed vapidly, clapping her hands, "Who'd ever  
think about keeping a human pet?"

"Who'd want to?" Pink sister wrinkled her nose, "But at least he doesn't  
stink. It's so strange… He smells like rain, doesn't he?"

"Is he okay?"

A third tanuki peered around his brother's arm, looking more than  
worried. This male was much younger, barely more than a child. Obviously  
trying to look grown up, he wore a pair of blue hakema pants patterned  
with hexagons. With a squeak the youngling turned into a turtle, drawing  
back and hiding in his shell as Haku's sharp eyes flitted in his direction.

"He's awake isn't he? Big brother hit him hard enough!"

The females scowled at the male disapprovingly.

"I wanted to make sure he was out. S'been a long time since I've seen a  
human who can see us, let alone do magic."

"But is he gonna be okay?" Little Tanuki was timidly peering from his  
shell, "He looks sick…"

"What does that matter!" Green sister rounded on the child with a scowl,  
making him hide again, "He's human! It would be a lot better off if he  
did die!"

Little brother fled the pantry as his elder sibling took a swipe at him.

And though they ignored him, Haku was shouting at the top of his lungs.

Why! What have you done this to me!

But not a word escaped his lip.

Fear alchemized into fury and Haku made the heat in his unwavering stare  
speak volumes. Such rage burned in his gut that he would have breathed  
fire if he could. Worry crept into brother tanuki's face as he glanced  
in Haku's direction. The fat fellow paled, hastily looking away to argue  
with his sisters while fanning faster and faster. Sick with frustration,  
Haku spared a glance at the surroundings and discovered he was in some  
kind of storage closet.

He was shoved between two bags of rice as if he was a parcel himself.  
The narrow and windowless, it was high in ceiling. Far overhead  
miserable looking mushi fluttered in a sealed jar hanging from a string,  
producing the dim light that illuminated crock upon crock of sake and  
wine. One of the tanuki yanked the string, shaking the poor creature.  
Instantly it produced more light, revealing bushels and barrels of other  
pantry goods. All had the marks of the mortal world and had either been  
stolen, bartered, or worse, cheated.

"Where'd a human learn magic?" Pink sister pestered her brother.

"Said he lived at the Bath House back before. Probably learned it there."

"He lived at the bath house!" The green female gasped in elation,  
"Does he know where the gold is!"

"That's why I knocked him over the head, you ninny!" Brother Tanuki hit  
his sister on the head with his folded fan, making her cringe back into  
her animal form, "So he could take us to it!"

Once again Haku went cold with understanding.

Gold: they were after Yubaba's gold. In spite of everything he had done,  
after he had saved this creature's life, the tanuki had deceived him,  
had lured him here only to enslave him, and all for the sake of gold.  
Haku could not cope with such greed, such deceit he might have expected  
from a human, but not Kami. But he was wrong. Stunned senseless, he was  
unprepared for the despair that hit him with vicious melancholy, much  
like he had been struck from behind by the tanuki. There were no words  
to describe what it robbed from him, because at once he found there was  
no goodness left in the worlds.

"Neh, Fido…" Pink sister tugged on the leash again, vying for his attention.

If she pulled any harder he would have to be sick on her tabi socked feet.

"Fido?" Green sister cut with a frown.

"We have to call him something," she pulled harder this time, making the  
metal cut into Haku's neck, "Tell us where the gold is!"

Abruptly his mouth fell open and it ached from being so rigidly  
clenched. Without hesitation he spat at her feet, making the female drop  
the leash and back away with a gasp as he had had spit acid. This time  
Haku remembered to lie.

"I do not know where the gold is! I never lived at the bath house!" He  
choked, baring his teeth as again he glared at the male, "Your brother  
is an idiot!"

"Shut up!" The male tanuki shouted.

Haku's teeth snapped together audibly, leaving him to once again simmer  
in silence as the weighty influence of the collar nearly pulled him to  
the very floor. But he watched in satisfaction as the females looked at  
their sibling with skepticism.

"He's lying!" Brother Tanuki stamping his foot like a child, "Humans can  
do that. He knows where the gold is and we'll make him show us."

Abruptly the door to the room flew open as a tanuki fatter than both the  
sisters combined shoved her sour face through the round jam. She wore a  
sumptuous gold and purple kimono bulging above and below her obi. A wide  
streak of gray ran through her carefully coiffed fur like a skunks stripe.

"Get back to work, you lazy brats!" Her nasal voice held all the  
commanding of a senior matriarch, at once reminding Haku of Yubaba.  
"That cat's back and she's charmed up all the males. Make sure she takes  
'em for all she's worth: drinks, food, whatever they'll buy her. Now get  
to it!"

Cat! Haku's attention to the door as hope momentarily thrilled in his  
heart. Had Cinna somehow tracked him here? But there was no use  
shouting. He could barely blink let alone speak.

"Yes, mother!" Her children scattered all except Brother Tanuki.

"You stay," Mother Tanuki rooted him in place with a stab of her finger.

As the closet emptied, Haku caught a glimpse outside. There was a  
kitchen not far beyond. Flashes of kami fire belied the delicious smells  
wafting his way. At once a riot of hunger hollowed his gut, leaving his  
belly to gnaw on the very bones of his spine. Melancholy salamander men  
who looked wholly underfed harried back and forth, cooking up a  
perpetual feast they would never have a chance to taste. In the distance  
over the clatter of pots and pans, Haku heard boisterous laughter and  
clinking glasses. Calliope music shrilled and swelled, making the world  
go more surreal than real. Over the split curtain leading to the dining  
area wrought iron chandeliers dangled globes full of more bedraggled  
mushi. It seemed everyone in this horrid place was shackled.

His eyes dropped to the split curtain as a rabbit woman pushed through.  
She had lackluster brown fur and wore an indecently short red kimono  
obviously against her will. She staggered through the split curtain  
under the weight of an enormous tray of dirty dishes. Immediately she  
caught sight of him around the doorframe. As she did her eyes went wide  
with recognition. Haku blinked, because he had never before in his life  
met this kami. All the same, sympathy filled her dark eyes. As she  
heaved an even heavier platter of food up onto her shoulder she silently  
mouthed a word, just one.

Wait.

The door shut before he could see more of her.

"He's awake, mother," Brother Tanuki announced proudly as he replaced  
his tall eboshi hat, "See? I didn't kill him after all."

"You dolt!" the matriarch turned on him with a sharp scowl, making him  
cower back into the lowly animal he truly was, "You could'nt've killed  
him even if you hit him three times as hard!"

"B-b-but I hit him a hard as I could!"

"You surprised him's all," she shifted her bulk around so she could peer  
down at Haku warily with far too intelligent eyes, "And you got lucky too."

The male was confused. "B-but…!"

"Shut up and listen! Learn from mommy!"

The tanuki cringed from the female as she lifted her hand threateningly.  
From the yards upon yards of fabric winding around her great dearth,  
Mother Tanuki pulled a tiny piece of folded gray cloth. Haku's heart  
skipped a beat as she held it up. Again fear drenched Haku with cold as  
her beady black eyes found his and grin split her face.

"I know what this is," She pronounced ominously.

Shaking the cloth, Mother Tanuki emptied things onto the floor that  
could not possibly fit into the tiny handkerchief. Squatting her massive  
bulk before them, she pushed things back into the folded cloth as she  
sorted the jumbled pile. In went the gourd, the compass, the broken  
glasses, the ring of keys, the watch, the sheaf of paper, the rice rope,  
his bow and arrows, Ume's knife, the flint, pitch and camphor leaves.  
Haku's heart sank as all these and the other gifts Onsen had given him  
went into the tanuki's hands. Brother Tanuki's beady black eyes grew  
bigger and bigger with glittering greed with each treasure his mother  
touched. Haku flinched as the two bath tokens hidden inside Satako's  
sketchbook fell to the floor. They clattered loudly and Mother Tanuki  
snatched them up, inspecting them with obvious disgust.

"Look at these… Junk! All of it; magic junk, but junk none the less,"  
she instructed her son, "But this is the real prize."

With that she held up his mask with her pudgy digits.

As she did Haku's heart constructed so sharply again he almost passed  
out. Cold sweat bedded on his upper lip and trickled down his spine as  
he desperately followed the mask with his eyes. She waved it back and  
forth in front of his face and he cringed as she pretended to drop it,  
only to catch it at the last moment.

"Ha-ha-ha!" She laughed phlegmily, grinning yellow teeth.

"What is it, mommy?" The male tanuki hushed with bated breath.

"It's his mask."

Her son stared stupidly until she slapped him hard.

"He's not human!" She thundered, "Any idiot with half a brain can see that."

"I don't understand!" the male wailed, "He looks human! He even smells it!"

"Senses deceive, you dolt! Honestly, how I begat such an idiot son I'll  
never know. It's your father's fault. That's what I get for marrying a  
badger…"

"Well if he's not human, then what is he!"

Mother tanuki turned the face of Haku's mask toward her son.  
Understanding took to the fat creature as if he had been bitten. Oh, how  
Haku wished he could bite the tanuki. In his rage he lamented the loss  
of his tail for a single whip could break bones.

"No…" Brother Tanuki hushed as his eyes widened with awe.

"Yes." Mother Tanuki grinned, turning her bare teeth at Haku as she  
gripped the edges of his mask just as Sengen had, "He's going to take us  
right to the gold. He knows right where the witch kept it 'cause he used  
t'be her apprentice. Isn't that right, Fido?"

"Yes," Haku breathed desolately as the truth was ripped from his lips.

Pitched into ecstatic excitement, the male clapped his hands, "Are we  
going tonight, mommy?"

"Of course we are, sweetie!" She retorted with dripping sarcasm before  
threatening him with her hand once more, "Only you would think to take  
a boat over that forsaken river right into a nest of hungry ghosts!  
We'll go first thing in the morning when those nasty things are asleep.  
I've waited months to find a way into that pit. I can wait another night."

Tucking his mask back into her obi Mother Tanuki turned away with her  
son following closely.

"Baby boy, we're gonna be rich!" Her booming laughter echoed in the  
pantry even after she shoved her son out the door and slammed it behind  
them.

Swallowing dark pressed down on him so completely until he felt as if he  
would be crushed into dust. Never had he felt so helpless. Not even as  
he lay on the stones of the sea feeling the bones in his body break. At  
least he had been able to cry out in that moment. He had screamed,  
flailed, and fought.

Had he still tooth and claw he could have thrown off his shackles. He  
could have ripped his hell to shreds. But no longer; he had forsaken all  
that; he had forsaken himself. And now? Now he was trapped in the prison  
of his flesh. Now he was utterly alone without even magic for company.  
And it matter not if he closed or opened his eyes for there was nothing  
but black and he nearly went mad from the horror of it all!

Retreating to the only sanctuary left, Haku turned inward, filling  
himself with the memory of her wide brown eyes as she looked up at him  
in the moonlight. He could still smell the clean soap scent of her hair  
and the warmth of her hands as she caught his cloak and pulled him to  
her. Perhaps addled by his state, Haku's mind wandered into her past.

Not far from here she had almost been swallowed by the dark. And what he  
was feeling now must have been what Chihiro felt as she began to fade  
away in that alley. No wonder she had looked upon him with such terror  
when first he approached. She had no magic at that time. But she, a mere  
human, had mastered a world at odds with her very being. She defied a  
witch powerful enough to strip him of his name, broke a curse that could  
have claimed his life. How! How had she done this? Desperately he fought  
with the collar's persuasion; over and over he struggled, always to  
fail. Drenched with sweat and grinding his teeth, Haku refused to give  
up. He could not find his end in this place. He had made a promise to  
follow her to Tokyo.

Struggling to breathe; slowly; ever so slowly, he managed to calm himself.

Wreathed in dreams of her, Haku fell asleep.

* * *

Notes:

(1) When Japanese travel it is obligatory to bring back gifts of local  
products made in the visited area for family and close friends. Besides  
lodging and travel, the third greatest expense of most Japanese travel  
is omiyage.

(2) Tanuki are powerful shape shifters. They can turn themselves and  
pieces of themselves into many things. But they are easily exhausted;  
hence the black marks around their eyes, culturally associated in Japan  
with being fatigued. They cannot shift for a short time after  
overexerting themselves.


	4. Chapter 4

HAKU

"Wake up, Fido!"

Haku's eyes opened on Mother Tanuki's sour fat face. It was a jarring  
sight after dreaming of Chihiro all night long. The closet was full to  
the brim with the fat obake. She was dressed in antiquated hunting  
clothes that could have easily been transformed into a tent and she  
yanked savagely on his leash.

"On your feet."

He complied gracelessly as his legs had long since fallen asleep. What  
an ungodly sensation it was in this mortal skin. Suddenly his shins felt  
were full of hot and cold crawling ants. And it was good that he could  
not speak otherwise he would be screaming like a madman.

Staggering behind Mother Tanuki as she tugged incessantly on the leash,  
Haku followed like an obedient dog they passed through the greasy white  
tiled kitchen into the garish foreign décor of the restaurant front. No  
longer hidden in the dim light of night, the cracked veneer and  
threadbare opulence was cheap and tacky compared to Yubaba's bath house.  
From the sticky boards of the floor to the puckered pink plaster  
ceiling, the stinking of stale sake and dirty thoughts lingered like  
smoke. Even the diamond panes of the glass windows were stained yellow  
with grime, barely affording any light from the morning outside.  
Standing in the atrium beneath an enormous wilting plant were four lame  
looking lizards in indigo fatigues to match Mother Tanuki's. They shrank  
meekly as the huge kami came waddling through the sea of upturned chairs.

"Has that slut of a rabbit come back yet?"

Brother Tanuki jumped to attention as his mother turned her sharp gaze  
on him.

"Not yet, mother," he answered meekly.

"Hmph… That cat's slippery as soap. I don't like this, but who else  
could I hire," She muttered to herself, conjuring a strand of prayer  
beads at odds with her treachery. These she nervously turned through her  
fat fingers while waving at the restaurant, "Your sisters are useless.  
Your brother's too young. And I'd rather not double-cross any of our  
neighbors. You don't shit where you eat. Remember that."

She smacked her son hard to make sure he was listening.

"Yes, mother," he rubbed his arm with a petulant frown. "But I liked  
Bunny… Why'd you have to give her away?"

"Because I hate doing work myself and the cat required a down payment!"  
She shot back hotly, "I can get you another rabbit any day of the week.  
Besides, if you're lucky I can cheat the cat out of everything including  
that slut."

Looking on in silence Haku's stomach turned in disgust. But a knock on  
the front door distracted him from his revulsion. As one of the lizards  
opened it he scrambled back with a gasp. And had it not been for the  
collar Haku would have fallen to his knees in relief.

Because in waltz Okesa no Sado in all her jingling jangling finery.

Clutching a folded red umbrella, the brown rabbit with the sympathetic  
eyes followed in her shadow. The geisha flicked cool red eyes back and  
forth across the room, ignoring him completely. Then she addressed the  
matriarch sideways with a sly lift of her dainty white chin.

"Mornin' Momma Tanuki," she bowed coyly.

"Eh… Good morning, Okesa," the fat woman was scowling darkly at the  
cat's attire, "Don't you think that you're… ah… a bit overdressed for  
this venture?"

"Do believe yeh's right," She laughed behind the back of her hand,  
flashing her gaze over her shoulder at the lizard men, "Aye do hate t'be  
underdressed."

Taking the parasol from the rabbit, the cat opened it in front of  
herself, hidden from view for a second. Apparently not entirely hidden;  
because the lizard men's eyes bulged in their heads; one even changed  
colored, turning bright pink. But as the parasol closed, disappeared  
behind the cat's back, Okesa had changed. She was dressed in a skin  
tight black gi, black tabi, and black gloves. Passing a hand over her  
face she pulled down her mask; eerie red eyes looked out of the slyly  
upturned oculars.

"Better?"

"Much," Mother Tanuki was scowling even darker now.

"Wot's that?" Finally Cinna looked him up and down, waving a hand in  
front of her face, "Yech…! Stinks."

"This is my map," Mother Tanuki explained shortly.

"An them?" Cinna's eyes flicked back to the lizards.

"They're the muscle. I'm not carrying back all the gold myself. And that  
leaves you, my dear. From now on you're my feet. Don't disappoint."

"Aye wouldn' dream o' it, Mother Tanuki." Again Cinna bowed, "So long as  
yeh make good on t'gold."

"Hmph," Tossing her head she yanked hard on Haku's leash, "March, you!  
C'mon; let's go get rich!"

Eagerly one of the lizard men yanked open the door, holding it open for  
Mother Tanuki as she stomped out into the dim morning, followed shortly  
by her entourage. As if the dawn needed to be any more foreboding, the  
town at the foot of the clock tower was clotted by thick, shifting mists.

Haku could barely see Mother Tanuki ahead of him, let alone the rows of  
shops, inns, and tea houses. Glancing from side to side as they tramped  
down the steep sloping avenue, he recognized none of the buildings  
looming around him. Haku was not as familiar with the clock tower town  
as he was with the restaurant district at the footsteps of the Bath House.

The town fell away with such abruptness that Haku found himself uneasy  
as they picked their way down the stone steps into the fields filling  
the riverbed between the bath house and clock tower. Cobbles disappeared  
into bare dirt as stone guardians loomed out of the fog. Eroded by time  
and memory, the statues stared without faces amidst the sea of wafting  
grass, fading in and out of the mists as they made slow progress down  
into the boulder filled river bed. It was completely dry. Not even the  
trickle of water sounded among the stones. And with every step his  
anxiety built heavier and heavier as the pressing silence made the fog  
seem to take on physical weight.

"I don't wanna go to the old town," Rabbit woman hushed in a stricken  
whisper.

Haku could not have agreed more. He did not want to go there either. And  
with every fiber of his being he fought against the collar's persuasion,  
fought to wrench himself free and go running in the opposite direction.  
Oh, how he hated his helplessness. But he could do nothing but follow as  
Mother Tanuki tugged on his leash.

"Miss Okesa, please! We shouldn't go there!" From the corner of his eye  
Haku watched as the kami pulled on the cat's sleeve, "Nobody's ever come  
back from there!"

"Shut up, you!" Mother Tanuki barked, ill tempered and winded by the  
short walk.

With a squeak the rabbit hid behind Cinna as the fat tyrant turned with  
a raised hand. But Mother Tanuki faltered as the cat stared her down  
with flat red eyes.

"No talking," the fat obake amended hastily, "We're almost across."

Cinna continued as if unaffected by the surroundings. But obviously  
afraid Brother Tanuki and the Lizard men gathered close behind Haku as  
if trying to hide in his shadow. Because ahead of them a battered stone  
lantern rose out of the shifting haze like a light house that had gone  
dark. Stairs resolved at its feet, leading up a steep bank toward  
huddled shapes that turned out to be buildings. At the top of the  
stairs, missing its head and bleeding green moss, was the frog statue  
that had once greeted visitors to the restaurant district.

Suddenly the ground beneath Haku's feet felt cold with a sickness that  
spread through the very stones of the street. Like a static charge, the  
air changed, growing colder and colder until he could see his breath.  
Black shadows flicked back and forth through the fog as they began to  
climb. But he forgot to be afraid as he passed over the spot where he  
had let go of Chihiro's hand, sending her back to the human world. His  
heart stung with memory as Haku tried not to look, tried not to see what  
had become of this place. But he could not turn back; he could not run  
away this time.

He stepped over strings of torn and faded lanterns that hung like  
tattered cobwebs, never again to be lit in welcome. Bits of broken  
colored glass flashed at his feet in whatever light filtered from above.  
All too soon he was standing beneath a bald rotting tree that had once  
been a beautiful ornamental cypress, surrounded by the bones of the  
smashed lantern bearing the bath house's name. Finally Haku forced  
himself to look up, forced himself to gaze in anguish at the ruin that  
had once been his home.

Like the hideous carcass of some monstrous sea creature, Aburaya (1) was  
cracked in two, slumped in angles of repose that were terrifyingly  
wrong. The whole shell seemed poised to fall at any moment. Echoing  
emptiness poured from the pitch black inside every burned out window and  
doorway. Like a gaping wound the hollowed entrance seemed to scream like  
a silent mouth desperate to be heard. Dead and splintered trees bent  
over the shambles of the garden fence as vines grew rampant across the  
blistered plaster exterior.

But the red paint remained. It bled through the fog like a bruise.

Someone gasped as shapes streaked pasted the knocked out windows. Haku's  
sharp eyes followed their darting path. Eyes like frozen pin-pricks  
watched from the shadowed doorways, pacing the edges of daylight,  
clambering in their haste to find a way closer. But they could not find  
a way across. Haku stared over the edge at nothing but endless white. As  
if it had never been, the bridge was gone, replaced by a yawning drop.

Trying to control the same overwhelming grief that afflicted him in the  
tunnel, Haku felt as if he had been cut adrift. It was not the first  
time his home had been taken. The day the humans filled in his river was  
the day a part of his soul died. Though Aburaya had been a prison, it  
had also been his salvation. Here he found Chihiro; here he found  
himself again. But that was gone. Once again he had no past. Once again  
he was face-to-face with hell and it was as if all he had ever been  
suddenly ceased to be.

"Tell me where we're goin'."

Mother Tanuki yanked on his leash, tearing him from the mire of his  
thoughts. Haku gritted his teeth as the metal at his throat grew heavy,  
forcing him to speak.

"We need to get to the top," He pointed at the skewed pinnacle on the  
haphazardly placed roof. It looked ready to slide free at any moment,  
"That was Yubaba's office."

"Y-you're joking, right?"

Brother Tanuki laughed nervously only to fall quiet as Haku turned ice  
cold eyes upon him. The fool shrank into his mother's shadow as the huge  
kami waved Cinna forward.

"Alright, feet, make me a way!"

With a demure bow cat approached the edge of the cliff, pacing back and  
forth before glancing back at the dead cypress. As she did she unwound a  
precariously thin rope from around her waist. It seemed to come out of  
nowhere until two great lengths lay coiled at her feet. She handed the  
loops to Haku. Wordlessly he complied, baffled as to how the cat meant  
to get them across. Here Cinna turned to Mother Tanuki and threw out her  
hip saucily.

"Aye need ah bow an' arrow."

"What! You should have though about that before we came!"

"Didn' know I' wuz gonna be like this!" The cat threw her hand at the  
chasm, "Don' be stingy! Yeh 'ave 'em on yeh. Aye cun smell 'em."

Mother Tanuki blinked as if remembering something, "So I do, my dear."

Reaching into her obi Haku watched with sharp eyes as she withdrew his  
folded tatter cloak. Cinna's eyes narrow with acuity on the piece of  
gray fabric. It swallowed the tanuki's arm as she rooted around before  
producing a slack bow as from thin air.

"Hold these," She shoved it at her son before next producing the quiver.

Reluctantly the rabbit retrieved the required items for her mistress.  
Haku did not miss the way she cringed from the lizard men, nor did he  
miss the way the men leered at her as she hastily retreated. No bite  
would suffice for these beasts. Had he still the teeth Haku would have  
remorselessly eaten even single one.

"Tha's quite ah trick," Cinna commented lightly, "Wot else y'got in there?"

"Oh, you have no idea what I have up my sleeves, my dear," Mother Tanuki  
chuckled as she stuffed the square back into her voluminous obi.

Stringing the bow in a deft motion that made it obvious she had handled  
such a weapon before, Cinna slung it over her arm before taking an arrow  
from the quiver. To the end of this she tied the strange rope Haku still  
held in his hands. All the while she did so without looking, instead  
studying the collar around his neck. Turning away from him without a  
backward glance, she knocked the arrow and took aim at the sky. It screamed  
as it flew across the chasm. Haku could not cringe as the cord went whipping  
out of his fingers like hot fire.

The bolt sank up to the fletching in the casement of the front doorway.  
Tying off a sister to the first, this the cat sent across. The moment it  
sank into the opposite frame the ropes pulsed, growing hundreds of  
reaching, spindly legs. With awe he could not show, Haku watched the  
tiny reaching hands of the filaments weave a thick mesh between the two  
cords.

"What is that," Brother Tanuki breathed curiously as the lizard men  
shrank with timid grimaces.

"Spider rope. Tsuchigumo's (2) make it," Cinna explained as she relieved  
Haku of the excess cordage.

Haku noticed she keep his bow and arrows, making them melt away into  
obscurity in her voluminous pockets. Then she tied the rope round the  
dead cypress trunk.

"I… I don't like heights, Miss Okesa!" Rabbit woman backed from the edge.

"S'okay, Usagi-chan. Yeh cun keep watch o'er t'ropes," the cat motioned  
towards the quivering bridge, "After yeh, Momma."

Mother Tanuki crept up to the springy black mesh, poking it with her toe  
only to recoil as tiny hands reached for her foot.

"Careful, it likes t'grab," The cat's eyes were grinning, "Y'gotta move  
quick."

"Will that hold my weight?" She seemed dubious.

"If all o' us cun make t'gether yeh cun by yerself."

Haku could not smile but he did not miss the veiled insult.  
Black faced, Mother Tanuki yanked on the leash and he went across first.  
The fabric was supple beneath his bare feet and the bristling hands of  
the filaments scratched and scuttled against his skin. The fey sensation  
sent a shudder crawling up his spine. They did not make it far beyond  
the faded blue curtains until it became too dark to see. Even Haku's  
sharp eyes could not pierce the gloom. Cinna took a few steps ahead,  
staring intently into the dark as the tip of her tail swished back and  
forth. Clutching his mother's bushy tail, Brother Tanuki hid in her  
shadow as clambering together in the last pool of light the lizard men  
held the rear. Once again the cat tossed her hip to the side as she  
glanced back at her employer.

"Aye need fire fer some torches. An' don' tell me yeh don' 'ave any  
'cause aye cun smell t'pitch an' t'iron."

"Fire!" Mother Tanuki exclaimed, making the hall echo with her voice,  
"You didn't say anything about fire!"

Blaze about the whole thin, she motioned into the pitch black behind  
her, "Y'gotta better idea t'scare off t'ghosts?"

As if on cue the dark shifted and with a gasp the kami shrank into the  
light.

"You four!" She ordered the lizard men, "Find some sticks."

Impatiently Cinna stamped her foot, "Yeh got ah perfectly good stick  
already. Aye cun smell it. Stinks like camphor."

With a surly frown, Mother Tanuki produced from her obi what the cat  
required.

"You have an excellent sense of smell, my dear."

Without comment Cinna put the pitch and flint in Haku's hands.

"What're you doing!" Mother Tanuki shouted angrily as she hauled back on  
his leash so viciously Haku lost his footing and stumbled.

"E's human!" Cinna shot back with a growl, "T'fire won' hurt 'im like  
i' will us. 'Sides, y'have his leash doncha?"

After several unsuccessful tries, Haku managed to light the torch. His  
hands were slick with sweat and the heat burned against his cheeks. Oh,  
it was a horrible thing to hold in his hands. But the shadows fled the  
licking yellow flame as they pressed into the shifting dark. Once again  
Cinna kept the flint, iron, and jar of pitch, secreting these away into  
her pocket.

Not far ahead the hall opened up into the great atrium. Once again Haku  
tried not to look up, tried not to see anything in the dark. This place  
was full of the dead. And he grieved for it and all who were lost when  
The Forgotten broke free of its prison.

"Where now?" Mother Tanuki tugged Haku's leash.

Haku had to swallow the lump in his throat before he could speak.

"The stairs are at the back. First we have to cross."

Ahead of them the bath house floor was perfectly split in two, again as  
if it were the shell of some enormous egg that had been cracked. Below  
the sharply broken boards a well of nothing seemed to drop into hell itself.

"Aye'll go first."

Cinna darted ahead, testing the floor. From time to time it moaned and  
creaked, shuddering precariously as if threatening to buckle. With  
gritted teeth the rest of the party followed. And Haku's insides went  
still as stone as Cinna very pointedly glanced back at him, holding his  
eyes as if in warning. Skipping ahead as if nothing was to be feared,  
the cat glanced back at the lizard men

"Piece o' cake, see?" Flirting outrageously as she sashayed her way over  
the breaks, "C'mon, boys. First one t'catch me git's ah kiss!"

All four turned pink, grinning and nudging each other as they clambered  
forward.

"Not all at once, you idiots!" Mother Tanuki shouted after them.

Abruptly Cinna dissolved into shadows as a great quaking shuddering  
through the floor, echoing up into the ceiling like a peel of growling  
thunder. At once the boards beneath the lizard men jolted, dropping a  
good foot before they folded, dumping the shrieking wretched into the  
nothing that waited below. Their screams dwindled into silence as once  
again the floor groaned in a bone rattling bass roar.

To Haku's right one of the iron bathtubs ripped out of its casing,  
dropping through the floor, leaving a yawning hole in its wake. His  
heart thrilled up into his throat as far too close another tub ripped  
free with a tremulous pop, taking a good sized chunk of floor with it.  
But he remained motionless and silent beneath the weight of the collar.

"Mommy!"

Brother Tanuki shrieked like a baby as the boards beneath his feet  
buckled downward. Genuine fear paled the matriarch's face as she caught  
her son by the scruff of his neck, rolled him into a bright yellow  
bouncing ball, then threw him with all her might down the dark hallway  
towards the front door. As he bounced out of sight light and rubble  
poured down in a grinding wail of stone and mortal as one of the wall  
pitched in, smashing through the already compromised floor. Splintering  
and heaving, it began leaning precariously, angling like an opening  
mouth on the cavern in the bowels of the bath house. Thrown from their  
feet, Haku and Mother Tanuki tumbled along the polished boards, headed  
right for the chasm revealed by the crumbling planks.

"Do something!" Mother Tanuki screeched.

Her claws dragged deep ruts in the wood but did nothing to slow her  
slide. At her command he was briefly afforded movement enough to seize  
an exposed floor joyce. Wide-eyed with dismay Haku braced himself as the  
fat kami whisked by still clinging to his leash. Agony blossomed around  
his neck as the line pulled taught. The metal band cut into his neck and  
shoulders, making hot blood well against his clammy skin. His head was  
nearly wrenched off but the beam held fast, bringing Mother Tanuki to a  
halt at the end of his leash half dangled over the edge of the precipice.

As the dust cleared and silence fell, a shadow cut across the pillar of  
light falling onto them from above. Riding the steeply pitched floor  
with her light feet, Cinna came to a halt beside Haku with a spider line  
firmly anchored around her waist. Metal flashed as she held an all too  
familiar silver blade against the taut leash. From behind her black mask  
the cat turned her blood red gaze on Mother Tanuki and held out her hand.

"Give me 'is mask."

At once Mother Tanuki's terror stricken face composed in shrewd lines.  
Her dark eyes were equally lethal as she grinned ugly yellow teeth.

"Cut me loose and we'll both be smashed to bits."

It was the truth and Cinna's tail twitched.

"If aye pull yeh up will yeh give me t'mask?"

"No," She was kami and kami could not lie, "But you can fight me for it."

"Deal."

As Cinna lifted the edge of Lin's sword from the leash Mother Tanuki  
shouted a command Haku could not ignore.

"Grab her!"

Sparing a hand he seized the cat, hauling her close as Mother Tanuki  
changed, shifting into a hissing snake that went surging up the leash  
only to coil around the cat's leg. Cinna screeched kicking away from his  
so viciously Haku almost lost his grip on the beam. Yowling and  
spitting, she hacked at the snake with her blade. But before the silver  
could break flesh Mother Tanuki became an enormous iron kettle firmly  
fastened to the cat's ankle by a length of chain. The sound of metal  
striking metal rang in the cavernous space. And all he could do was  
watch as they went swinging and struggling across the angled floor

Mother Tanuki shifted once more; this time she became a stone Buddha so  
heavy it made the spider line snap in a spray of shuddering reaching  
claws. Cinna shrieked as the weight dragged her down the slope. Plunging  
her knife into the floor, she clung to the haft before they could slip  
over the edge. At once Mother Tanuki became a black beetle, clambering  
into the air as her flustering wings flicked open, kicking up wind with  
a deafening hum as she managed to buzz up to the lip of the undamaged  
floor. She almost did not make it, changing back mid-air and having to  
scramble to safety.

"Ha-ha-ha-ha!" Mother Tanuki roared with triumphant laughter,  
struggling to her feet all the while wheezing like a punctured balloon.

Haku's eyes flew back to Cinna as the cat hissed, kicking long arms of  
black that appeared from the lip of the boards beneath her. They  
followed the shadows engulfing the cat, cast by Mother Tanuki as she  
stood overhead blocking the light.

"You can't kill me, cat!" Striking her fat belly, she glared down at  
Cinna with beady black eyes, "I've lived a hundred years and I'll live  
another hundred more!"

Once again Haku fought the collar, struggling with all his might against  
the compelling piece of iron that hung around his neck. All the while he  
watched Cinna haul herself up onto the haft of the sword, trying to  
escape the reaching black hands. But the floor was too steep to climb  
and her line had broken in the fight. There was no where she could go.  
And there was nothing he could do except watch from the brink of madness  
as the cat threw her eyes about in a panic. Cinna glared overhead as  
Mother Tanuki howled with laughter. Tracking her back and forth, the fat  
obake made sure the cat was bathed in shadow as the hands clawed higher  
and higher.

"You're dead meat, cat!"

Breathing heavily, Cinna fell still, leaning back against the slick  
boards, looking as if she had given up. Then she reached into the fold  
of her gi and threw out her hand. Bells rang in the atrium, resounding  
off the walls as Cinna flicked open one of her fans. Obviously against  
her will, Mother Tanuki stood stock still on the edge above. The fat  
obake threw her hand to the side, mimicking the cat's every movement. At  
once her black eyes went sharp with fear.

"W-what are you doing!"

Pacing in a tight whirl, Okesa danced along the edge of the blade.  
Mother Tanuki began dancing as well, lumbering back and forth between  
the doorway and the ledge, making the already compromised floor shake.  
As she did the raccoon unwrapped her obi in a stomach-turning strip  
tease. The fabric fell to the floor and Haku cringed as his mask and  
tatter cloak fell amongst the yards of cloth.

"Stop! Stop!" Mother Tanuki shrieked as she danced up to the edge.

But Okesa did not stop. And the raccoon stepped off the edge.  
Screaming all the way, she slid down the planks.

Though once Haku had though to eat her and her children; though she had  
enslaved him and no doubt many others; he could not help but think to  
save her as she plunged into the nest of reaching black hands. Had he  
the will he would have reached for her. But he could do nothing but  
watch as the hungry ghosts seized her in quivering droves, retreating  
from the light that spilled over Cinna, happy to withdraw with their  
prize. All the while Mother Tanuki was screeching like an animal. But  
her voice drew farther and farther away. Until, abruptly, she silenced.

There was red on the edge of Lin's knife as Cinna slumped against the  
pitched floor. Pale faced in the pouring light, the cat gritted sharp  
teeth as she hauled Haku's bow from her pocket. Uncoiling more spider  
rope, she tied the end to an arrow produced from thin air. With a  
whizzing twang the bolt went arcing back up over the edge. Tucking away  
the weapons, she tugged the line twice then wrapped the reaching  
tendrils around her slender waist. Suspended now, Cinna wrenched Lin's  
blade from the boards and returned the knife to her other pocket.

With a slowness that seemed to stretch on into forever, she began  
swinging from side to side, reaching for him only to drop away and  
return all the more closely. Inside himself Haku shattered with relief  
as the cat's frozen hands brushed his arm, then closed over the front of  
his shirt.

"Gotcha, kitten," Cinna hushed, taking hold of the leash with one hand  
as she gripped the beam with her other, "Grab holda me, kay?"

Barely aware of himself, Haku let go of the joyce in wooden movements  
and wrapped his arms round the cat's waist. With a strength that  
exceeded her boney frame Cinna pulled them both up over the edge. His  
mask was a flash of cold against his bare skin as the cat shoved it down  
the front of his shirt followed shortly by the silk wad of his tatter cloak.

"Follow me," Cinna murmured.

Haku remembered little after that, no creaking unsteady floor, no  
swallowing black hall. His world narrowed to the cat's cold slight form  
as she leaned on him heavily, limping with every step. He smelled blood  
but could not see where she was injured. It sent his insides scrambling  
with panic. Death was not something he had ever before considered with  
weighty thoughts. But he watched it creeping slowly as Cinna struggled  
on the edge of a knife. He had looked it in the face as Mother Tanuki  
went sliding by. The horror of her expression was burned into his  
memory. He would never forget it.

And at once there was blinding light and the misty spray of open air.  
Staring overhead, never in his life had he loved the sight of the sky so  
dearly. The fog had broken, revealing a bloody orange sunset. Already  
night was upon them. Time moved strangely in the Spirit World; sometimes  
too quickly and others far too slow. But always it seemed to move  
opposite of what one needed most.

At once Cinna fell still beside him, yanking him to a stop.

"Where is mother!"

Haku could not lift his head, it would not obey him. Painfully he looked  
from the corners of his eyes and found Brother Tanuki holding the bright  
edge of a knife to the neck of the terror struck rabbit woman. Haku's  
sense went taut like a string as he stared. Because the rabbit's dark  
eyes swallowed her face as the raccoon dragged her to the edge of the cliff.

"Where is mother!" The raccoon repeated with a snarl, no longer  
feigning humanity. He had dropped his pretenses and stood as the animal  
he was.

"Still inside," Cinna answered in a flat voice.

It was not a lie. But the Tanuki's face wiped with understanding. Haku  
blinked, because relief and not sorrow flowed through the creature's  
eyes. Again he was reminded that this was a animal that stood before  
him, not a kami.

"Send the dragon over!" Brother Tanuki ordered.

Haku steeled himself for the trip over the spindly bridge only to find  
himself still standing. Confused, he glanced sideways at Cinna only to  
find the cat's face had wiped of emotion. Her hand was still closed  
firmly around the front of his shirt. Haku's inside went colder than  
cold as Brother Tanuki shouted hoarsely in the distance.

"Do it now, or else!"

The rabbit let out a sobbing cry as the raccoon shoved her closer to the  
edge. It was almost dark now. Dusk was falling quickly and the shadows  
began to rove. Haku could feel the chill of their eyes on his back. Soon  
it would be dark and they would have much more to contend with.

"Tch!" Cinna scoffed with flattened ears, "Y'ain't got t'guts, runt!"

"You think I won't do it?" Brother Tanuki snarled.

"Aye know it…! Those who've done red work know who can' an' can't!"

Letting Haku go she stalked forward as sharp yellow claws ripped their  
way through the tips of her gloves. Brother Tanuki flinched from the  
sound of tearing cloth. Terror brought down his guard and Usagi elbow  
him hard in the gut, making the raccoon double over and drop the knife.  
The rabbit snatched it up and whirled only to scramble back from the  
black shape coming up the stairs. Haku's heart jolted, squeezing up into  
his throat as he recognized the face. Or rather, he recognized the lack  
of face. Brother Tanuki quaked with horror, staring up into the empty,  
almost smiling eyes as the Kaonashi lowered his head to inspect him  
curiously. With a low thrum his filmy body split, revealing an enormous  
mouth and an endless gullet.

Haku could only watch as Kaonashi swallowed Brother Tanuki whole.

* * *

CHIHIRO

It was late, so late it was pretty much tomorrow.  
Still Chihiro sat at her desk, eyes glues to the laptop.  
She couldn't seem to sleep at all these days but that was okay.  
She was writing again.

Insufferable pictures shuffled around in her head to the point where she  
could barely think. And her fingers flew across the keyboard as if  
desperate to empty them onto the page. The blank screen filled to the  
brim with words that spilled over onto the next page; and then the next,  
and the next. They might have spilled out of the laptop and run across  
the floor if not for the mountain of boxes surrounding her like a  
cardboard dam. The movers came yesterday, bringing all the things she'd  
left in her Nagoya apartment. They'd even brought the dry brown corpse  
that had once been her kitchen spider plant. At least the pot was still  
good. Michio's stuff had come from Osaka earlier today. It filled an  
entire truck. Even with all their stuff the house was cavernously empty.  
She and Michi were going to go furniture shopping. Surprisingly Chihiro  
was looking forward to it.

It had been almost a week since she left without so much as a goodbye.  
At least she'd left a long explanation in the form of a letter tacked to  
the refrigerator door with a pink heart magnet. For the first time  
Chihiro could remember Yuko wouldn't return her phone calls. It was  
kinda scary how pissed her mom was, but again, it was okay. They'd make  
up eventually. Maybe once she saw her set up in a big city like a real  
adult she'd finally see her as something other than a little girl.

She knew her mom, and it wouldn't be long before Yuko's curiosity got  
the better of her. She'd be dying to come see the Aoyama house.  
Surrounded by modest apartment complexes and a white-washed wall, the  
house was like a window into the past. Thought the original estate had  
been subdivided and the house cut down and remodeled into a two stories,  
two baths, and three massive bedrooms. It was almost as big as her  
parent's house and right in the middle of Tokyo! But the old exposed  
beams, blue tile roof, wooden floors, and extensive garden told of the  
house's history.

Back in old Edo (3) Aoyama had been a residential district for high  
ranking samurai. There were all kinds of old shrines and temples here.  
Regardless of its past Lydia was right; the house was absolutely  
gorgeous. A house with a garden inside the city was unheard of! And not  
far beyond the front gate was a bustling shopping and entertainment  
district that gave Shibuya and Harajuku a run for their money. Two metro  
stations were within walking distance, both linked up to the Chiyoda,  
Hanzōmon, and the Ginza Lines (4). They were a 15 minute subway ride  
from pretty much anywhere in Tokyo. Michio was having fits.

Almost as if Chihiro'd summoned her, there was a knock on her door.  
Michio shuffled in wearing skull pajamas, rubbing sleep pinched eyes.  
Her friend looked utterly confused; glancing between the bed and her  
computer as if she couldn't fathom Chihiro's choice.

"What the hell, Chihiro… It's like 4AM!"

"Couldn't sleep," She didn't stop typing as she looked up.

With a hearty sigh her friend performed a belly flop onto Chihiro's bed.  
It was western style, raised high off the floor and covered by a  
periwinkle comforter so thick it looked like a blue marshmallow. Rolling  
herself up like a burrito, Michio left her bare feet poking out. Sparing  
a glance at her black polished toes, Chihiro grinned so hard her cheeks  
hurt. Reaching over, she tickled the bottom of her friend's foot.

"Knock it off!" Michio squealed.

Throwing off the comforter and all but pouncing on her, Michi she tried  
to read what was on the screen. Instantly Chihiro shut the laptop,  
silently fretting because she hadn't had a chance to save the word file.

"At least tell me what it's about? I can hear your keys clacking away,"  
She mimicked mad typing, "The suspense is killing me!"

This coming from the woman who texted in the shower.

Chihiro snorted, "Look, I don't even know what it's about…"

It was a lie. Instantly heat flooded Chihiro's face.  
Ever since she'd left her parent's house, ever since she'd found that  
article in the magazine on the drive from Mizunamii City to Tokyo, it  
was like a flood gate had opened in her head. The picture started it:  
the photo of the front of the onsen in Izu.

Her onsen. Wow, that was such a weird thought.

At least now she knew what the front of the inn looked like. But things  
kept getting weirder; because the article was written by her old  
folklore instructor, Professor Saito. Chihiro didn't know why she hid  
the article from Michio. The thing was harmless. It read like a love  
letter written to the old ryoken and the village of Kumomi. But she hid  
it, reading it secretly. The first night in the Aoyama house Chihiro'd  
cut it out and stashed it under her futon. Now it was carefully hidden  
in the bottom of her desk drawer along with another clipping discovered  
on a grocery trip.

Was it so awful to want to know more? If she couldn't remember at least  
she could read. And the more she read the more it won't leave her alone.  
The story, that is. She was beginning to think about it like a living  
thing! The story was set in Kumomi, at the bath house. But it started in  
Nagoya right after she found out Karou was cheating on her. Gods, this  
was so weird…!

"Oh, c'mon!" Michio prodded, giving her a start, "You've been at this  
for the whole week! Ever since we got to Tokyo you've been shut up in  
here writing! It's got t'be about something by now."

"It's just for me right now, okay?" Suddenly exhaustion sent her  
slouching low in her chair, "I promise I won't write tomorrow. We'll go  
out an' do something fun. Maybe we'll look for furniture?"

Sitting back on the corner of her bed, Michio crossed her arms with a  
sulky moue.

"Y'said that yesterday..."

"Well I mean it today!"

"It's already tomorrow, Chihiro," Michio huffed.

"Will you just go back to bed?"

"Fine! But I want a real couch and a real table! None of this  
old-fashioned cushion-on-the-floor shit!"

Chihiro sighed gustily, "Whatever you want so long as it isn't black or  
leather."

The goth frowned, "What's wrong with leather?"

"G'night, Michi."

Michio snorted then quickly planted a kiss on the crown of her head. A  
point of warmth stoked in her heart as Chihiro watched the skinny woman  
go shuffling back out into the hall. There was no way she'd be doing  
this right now without Michio. How they'd managed to function apart for  
so long was a mystery.

Standing stiffly, Chihiro realized there was no reason to change in to  
pajamas because she was already wearing them. Climbing beneath her  
massive blanket, clicking off the light, Chihiro stared at the still  
strange ceiling. The house smelled dusty and empty, like it hadn't been  
lived in for a long while. The empty smell bothered her, so did the fact  
that was no such thing as quiet here.

The window was open and she listened to the distant hush of the freeway  
and other subtle urban sounds. A car pulled by outside as someone began  
their morning at an hour that should have been illegal. An airplane  
hummed by far overhead. Somewhere in the distance a garbage tuck went  
beep, beep, beep.

As the rest of the world came awake Chihiro struggled to go to sleep.

With another gusty sigh she reached over and pulled her dresser drawer  
open. Inside was the maple leaf Michio'd found on the floor in her  
bedroom. This was something else she was hiding from Michio. By now the  
leaf was dry and yellow. But it still smelled like rain as she breathed  
it in. Twisting the stem between her fingers Chihiro tried to remember  
her dream. But she couldn't. Heavy sadness soaked through her heart,  
making her arm feel ten times as heavy as she returned the leaf to the  
drawer.

When she closed her eyes no dream waited for her. Only darkness.

* * *

Notes:

(1) Aburaya is the Bath House's name.

(2) Tsuchigumo's are earth spiders, yokai with eight limbs and humanoid  
features. They feature prominently in early Japanese legends. Kamaji is  
a tsuchigumo.

(3) The Edo Period [1603 to 1868], also known as the Tokugawa era, was  
the pre-modern era of Japan. It saw the movement of the capital from  
Kyoto to Tokyo (formerly known as Edo).

(4) The subway system in Tokyo, otherwise known at the Metro, is  
frickin' awesome! You can get anywhere pretty much any time of day for  
mere dollars. Although some of the sub-stations are a little bare-bones,  
the major stations are pretty much gigantic shopping malls and  
destinations in their own rights.


	5. Chapter 5

**HAKU**

Cinna fumbled with the jingling keys.

There were hundreds on the ring Onsen had given him.

And the cat tried each in the lock at the back of the collar.

Haku could not argue with her. He could not tell her the effort was folly. But he could do nothing. And all of him ached at the expense of such powerlessness, outside and in. He was exhausted by the severity of the collar's control. Like a coiled spring wound too tight, he was about to break. Resting his forehead on the cat's cold knees, Haku tried to still the wings of the wild emotions beating against the cage of his chest, struggling to stay calm. Because he wanted the collar off! Trying to distract himself, he listened to the distant pop and crackle of the fire he in the dilapidated hearth. This he started at Cinna's command. And the uncanny warmth of mortal fire soaked through his back as he shielded the cat from the heat.

Not all of the restaurants in the abandoned district were hanging in shambles. As night fell over them light a net they had hastily taken shelter in the dusty interior of an old tea house. There was no going outside now, no returning to Clock Tower Town. Because shadows gathered in swarms beyond the walls; peering through the windows; at every pane and crack glistening jet eyes reflected the licking yellow tongues in the fireplace. From time to time they rattled the windows and plucked at the front latch. But they fled as the blaze in the hearth reached for them with an appetite that matched their own.

Gaki (1) were insects compared to Forgotten.

On their own the hungry ghosts were harmless annoyances.

But in hordes they could be deadly.

The streets of the old district were teeming with their faceless transparent bodies.

Rabbit woman sat huddled at the cat's back. Haku glanced up at the timid kami, watching her peer over the cat's shoulder with dubious brown eyes, "I d-don't think that's gonna w-work, Miss Okesa."

"Didn' ask yer 'pinion, Usagi-chan," Cinna muttered back sourly, "'Sides… Ain't no coincidence we got all these keys."

That cat had pushed back her mask and was glaring at the lock with a gaze that might have melted the metal. Gritting sharp teeth, her cold breath tickled the hairs on Haku's neck, making him shiver.

" _Shite!_ "

The cat snatched back her hand, shaking bruised fingers as another key failed.

As he contemplated living the rest of his life with the shackle around his throat Haku closed eyes. Hot stinging despair crowded up into his throat until his eyes were brimming. Tears roll down his cheeks. Cinna sat went perfectly still as they soaked through the fabric on her knees. At once she was back to work.

"Hold on, kiddo," Cinna hushed with frantic gentleness as more of his tears fell.

Suddenly the key turned. In the same moment Haku felt as though he had gone weightless. The collar fell from around his neck. Haku jerked back into midair but he did not go far. His back hit the filthy rug as the terrible crushing weight dissolved from his insides. But he could move again! He could move and speak! Never had these common things felt so wonderful! He cried out in relief, shaking and sobbing uncontrollably, not caring how much noise he made.

"S'okay! S'okay!" The cat soothed, "Aye gotcha, kitten!"

Cinna hauled him into her lap, smothering his pitiful sobs with the deafening thrum of her purring. And he clung to her stupidly, sagging against her knees in quaking relief. Oh, he had almost forgotten this feeling. Cinna tried to draw back but he would not let her. He was too afraid that she would disappear and all this would become a dream and he would wake up back in that cursed pantry!

"Neh, Usagi-chan?" The cat's voice floated over him so very far away, "Look 'round t'kitchen fer somethin' t'drink? Somethin' stiff. Sake. Beer. Anthin'."

"Y-yes, Miss Okesa." Rabbit woman stammered.

Her reluctant steps retreated across the creaking floor. And Haku did not have the strength to protest as Cinna shoved her hand down the front of his shirt, riffling in the wadded ball that was his tatter cloak. Heat radiated from the stopped gourd of camphor tree water as the cat pulled it free. The vessel loosed a hollow sound as she pulled the cork free with her teeth. Haku gasped, cringing as the hot water washed over the tender skin at the back of his neck. At first it stung, but slowly the warmth soothed the pain. Cinna caught the sharp smelling water at his throat, massaging it all over his shoulders. Bringing shaking fingers to his neck, Haku found the lacerations gone, completely healed.

Slowly sitting back, he watched silently as the cat carefully dosed a small handful of water from the gourd. This she smoothed over the cuts on the bottoms of her bare feet. Like him she grimaced at first, but soon breathed a sigh of relief as the gashes closed. Corking the gourd, the cat shoved it back into the fold of his filthy kimono, patting his chest to make sure his mask was still there.

After a long moment Haku remembered he could speak.

"How did you find me?"

He jolted in shock asCinna grabbed him again. The cat hugged his face, pulling him close so she could rub her cheeks against the top of his head.

"Aye followed yer stink!" She was purring again, vibrating his skull.

The corners of his mouth twitched. "Do I smell so terrible then?"

"Nah… Y'smell like rain."

Cinna was smoothing his hair, carefully picking through the tangles as she began grooming him. It felt mostly good, except for the few times she plucked the knots a little too hard. All the same, Haku was dozing when rabbit woman screamed from the back room. He hit the ground hard as Cinna was on her feet, crouched over him protectively with Lin's sword in hand. Usagi came tearing back into the seating area with a jar of pickles clutched over her head. Behind her; filling the archway to the kitchen like a transparent door; was Kaonashi.

"Leave him be!" Haku grabbed Cinna's ankle.

"Hah?!" Cinna glanced down at him dubiously, "Y'know this _thing_!?"

"I do," Haku dropped his arm; it was too heavy to hold up. "He is harmless."

"Tch! 'E's got an awful big mouth t'be _harmless_!"

The cat shrank back as Kaonashi came towards her.

"Ah? Ah?"

He proffered a crock of sake like a peace offering, trying to catch Usagi's eye. But rabbit woman would have nothing to do with him. Trembling from head to toe, she pressed her face into the middle of the cat's back. Disappearing Lin's blade in the pocket at her hip, watching the masked spirit from the corner of her eyes, Cinna edged forward and snatched the jar from his hands.

"Ah…"

Free of his burden, Kaonashi uttered a long sigh. Skirting the cat and rabbit, he sank to his knees beside Haku, wilting in fatigue if he had traveled a long way. And Haku stared at the ghost not knowing what to make of him. The last he had seen of this creature was at Zeniba's cottage in Swamp Bottom. Kaonashi jumped at a crack from the fire, scooting away an inch or two before gazing around the sitting room curiously. Before he could pepper the ghost with questions, Cinna crouched at his opposite side and put the sake crock in his hands.

"'Ere, drink up."

Gladly taking a swig, his head swam as the fumes burned his eyes.

"S'nough… S'nough!" Cinna took it back before shoving the pot at rabbit, trading her for the pickle jar.

"W-what s'it want!?" Usagi hushed. She watched Kaonashi with enormous black eyes, still clinging to Cinna's shadow as the cat pried opened the pickle jar. The rotted smell turned Haku's stomach and he refused the wrinkled cucumber in spite of the hunger echoing in the pit of his belly.

"I do not know."

Suddenly Kaonashi returned their interest. As he bowed politely the polished ivory surface of his mask again seemed to smile. But then the corners of its mouth turned down as his stomach gurgled and moaned. Leaning forward as if in pain Kaonashi put his tiny hands on the slight bulge at his belly.

"Heh…!" Usagi laughed humorlessly, hugging the sake crock, "I think Brother Tanuki didn't agree with him."

With another pitiful moan, Kaonashi was on his feet. Suddenly his stomach heaved as if kicked from the inside. Hastily fleeing across the room, the ghost chased himself in a harried circle, all the while holding his gut until he was trembling all over. Finally he turned his back and vomited up an enormous rotting fish. Gods above, it stank with such foul ferocity Haku was almost sick himself! No wonder the ghost was ill!

But at once the fish transformed, uncurling like a birthday whistle as it became Brother Tanuki. On his feet in an instant the fat raccoon fled for the front door. Upon yanking it open he was greeted by a bristling wall of transparent bodies. With a sharp squeak Brother Tanuki slammed the door and threw his back against it, bracing with all his might as the latched jiggled frantically. But his beady black eyes went wide as every hair on Cinna's body stood on end. Her tail bristled out three times its size.

" _You!"_ She thundered, _"Aye'm gonna skin you alive!"_

At once Ume's knife was in the cat's hand. She threw it at him, as with shriek, Brother Tanuki transformed into a tiny fly. Harmlessly the knife sank to the hilt in the door as he went buzzing up into the rafters. Nearly trampling them both, Cinna growled deep in her chest, following directly beneath the fly with a lashing tail and bared teeth. Lin's blade was back in her hand and the cat's blood red eyes flashed like mirrors as they caught the fire light.

"Y'can't keep tha' up forever, _y'coward!_ " She hissed in a ruthless voice that did not belong to her, "Yer skin's mine an' aye'm gonna wear yeh like ah hat!"

Finally the fly faltered, fluttering fitfully before dropping like a stone. Cinna lunged, catching the insect with her claws. At once Brother Tanuki turned into a sputtering firecracker. With a gasp the cat threw him aside. The wick fizzled out as the raccoon returned to himself, shrieking under his breath as he made for the kitchen doorway. Kaonashi glided ahead of him, filling the archway as the whites of his teeth showed beneath his ivory mask. With another screech Brother Tanuki turned for the front door only to come up short Usagi as she wrenched the dagger from the wood, following him with dark eyes.

Completely trapped, Brother Tanuki whirled again and saw him.

In a panic, the creature threw himself at Haku's feet.

"P-please, great sir!" He shrilled in desperation, "Please don't let them k-kill me!

Haku recoiled as the gibbering creature clutched his legs.

 _"Git yer filthy hand offa him!"_

Cinna caught the raccoon by his tail and hauled him backwards. Usagi looked on without comment as the cat dragged him for the kitchen. Kaonashi made way as she headed for the dark at the back of the tea house. And in that moment Haku realized the cat actually intended to kill the raccoon.

At once his insides went cold with the same feeling that had filled his chest as Mother Tanuki went skidding by into the hands of death. It made his stomach ill and his body tremble. What was this sick sympathy coiling through his heart? This… this _pity_ the creature inspired in him made no sense. Brother Tanuki had deceived him, had betrayed him after Haku saved the yokai's life! He deserved no such mercy! But a punch of guilt hit him so soundly Haku was forced to remember the terrible things he had once done for his own sake.

He had deceived Kamaji in order to secure a place to stay. Then he had deceived Yubaba, however unsuccessfully, in order to steal her magic. Cowardly he hid his love for Chihiro from the bath house workers. And stupidly he had thought to double-cross Yubaba by stealing Zeniba's golden seal for himself so he might regain his name through the power of another. It had been some time since he had considered these transgressions. Never before had he admitted what a selfish being he had been. Was selfishness was so different from greed?

Haku grew angry now. Had he still been kami he would not have felt such remorse. But he was no longer a God. With sinking dread he was forced to admit to himself he was not sure what he was anymore. Reluctantly Haku looked up as Brother Tanuki gibbered in crazed panic. The fat creature had caught the doorframe to the kitchen, clinging with sharp claws. And Cinna was hauling on his tail so fiercely it was a wonder it did not tear free.

 _"Please!?"_ Brother Tanuki was white with terror, " _I don't wanna be a hat!"_

Haku cringed as he realizedChihiro would never have stood for this. What would she think of him if she learned he had watched this happen and had done nothing? The collar was no longer around his neck. He had no excuse. Gritting his teeth Haku spoke.

"Cinna, stop!"

She ignored him, looking at the raccoon as if she intended to peel him on the spot.

" _I said stop, Okesa!_ " Haku shouted.

A wind hit the room, making the fire hiss and gutter, sending shadows tearing through the abandoned tea house. Crouched like some kind of skulking demon the cat glowered at him out of the dark with bloody eyes, baring her sharp yellow teeth. Haku could not help but remember what she had said on the bridge about _red work_ ; because these were the eyes of someone who had killed. For a moment he no longer knew her.

"What will killing him accomplish?" Haku inquired calmly.

"Nothin'!"

It was the truth. She could not lie.

Cinna sobered in the face of it, starting as if she had frightened herself. As if she could not stand the weight of his gaze the cat relinquished the tanuki's tail and melted into the dark at the back of the tea house. Unsure of what to do, Haku stared after her until Usagi knelt beside him.

"Y'shoulda let her skin him," rabbit woman muttered, "He's done terrible things."

It was then that he noticed Usagi held the Oni Collar in her soft brown hands. And her eyes were flinty as she glared at the quaking tanuki.

* * *

 **LIN**

Listening to the pounding rain, Lin stared at the dark ceiling.

But there was no way she could sleep, not with the weight on her mind.

Kiri and Amano's wedding was swiftly approaching. It was planned to take place during the autumn festival so the village didn't have to plan two separate celebrations. Beside the usual housework and her turn at the welcome station, Lin's day had been full of apologies as she was forced to call and cancel all the reservations they had accepted for that weekend. But there was no way they could accommodate both visitors and the wedding party.

The broken nosed man was usually awkward in her presence, but now he profusely apologetic every time she'd come into the kitchen. So was Kiri. The temple maiden had taken over the shop, freeing Aniyaku to play host to the needs of their guests. Humans were a fussy lot and there were many needs to be tended. Between Amano and Kiri Lin was so sick of apologies she avoided the humans whenever possible. They acted like she was doing them some huge service and it made Lin uncomfortable. Kai was the only sufferable creature under their roof and he spent most of his time with Hiko and Ginka when he wasn't in school. Earlier in the day in a fit of exasperation Lin appealed to the child for an explanation.

"As far as I'm concerned if you eat at the same table then you're family!"

"I know," Kai beamed like his grandmother, "This's their way of sayin' thanks."

"By apologizing incessantly!? That makes no sense!"

"Yeah… Well, grown-ups don't make much sense to me either…"

Lin heaved an exhausted sigh.

Reika had stolen Natsumi, claiming the old yuna as her planning assistant. And Lin couldn't complain about how short staffed they were already; she couldn't lament the amount of work needed to keep the Onsen running; not when confronted by Lady Nikkou's smile. Though she remained weak and tired, the old human seemed to come alive again in the planning of the wedding. That left Lin to finish Natsumi's chores. She'd been so hard pressed to finish the usual work Lin was forced to conscript Yoshi and Little Green Frog for cleaning duty. That meant she'd been forced to re-mop all the muddy footprints they'd left in the wake of their work.

And Suzume?

As usual the fox was non-existent.

Lin hadn't seen him since that morning. He'd spent the last few days in the village working on Keiichi, trying to convince the priest to preside over the ceremony. Keiichi still wasn't speaking to Kiri in spite of the fact that their grandfather asked for her constantly. The priest was not at all what Lin expected from one who supposedly spoke to the Gods. Never had she met a more close-minded being.

But feuding siblings and approaching wedding weren't why she couldn't sleep.

The twins had kicked today.

Restlessly Lin ran her hand back and forth across the skin of her stomach, trying to feel the gentle nudge that had made her drop an entire bucket of soapy water into one of the bath tubs. But the kits had fallen still for now, sleeping while she couldn't. Though her body appeared human Lin was bound by the timelines of her true form. It took a little more than three months for itachi (2) to come to full term; a third of the human gestation period. In winter one could hide quite a bit beneath a haori coat. But there was only so long you could hide something from a family as large as her. She was going to show very soon.

Again the tears surprised her.

Onsen settled uncomfortably, creaking and shifting as the whipping wind sent the window whistling. But Lin didn't scold the house, didn't wipe the tears away as a chill draft crept across the floor in spite of the kotatsu (3) radiating heat at the foot of her bed. Burrowing under her quilt, Lin let the tears run down her face until her futon was damp beneath her cheek.

It had been a long time since she'd let herself cry like this. Tears were wasteful. She'd nearly thrown Sen into the brook out front of the Onsen for behavior like this. But she didn't have to be stone anymore. The Forgotten was dead. She'd given away her sword. So Lin cried as quietly as she could until Suzume swore quietly outside her door.

" _Ouch!"_ He yipped as something snapped in the hall, hissing at Onsen beneath his breath, "By the love of Holy Inari, you are _uncommonly_ _foul_ in mood this evening!"

More snapping sounded. It took Lin a moment to realize Onsen was cracking the floorboards, probably right under Suzume's tender feet. She could feel the ryokan's vindication vibrating through the walls as the house tried to keep the fox from coming into her room.

" _Ouch! Ouch!_ " He yipped again, harried, retreating, and not nearly so quiet, "House! You will stop this at once!"

At this rate they were going to wake everyone up if they hadn't done so already.

With a sigh Lin came to the fox's rescue.

"Leave him alone," Lin muttered against her futon, "Let him come in."

After a moment of more reluctant creaking and settling, silence descended on the hall as Onsen's presence withdrew. Abruptly the sliding door whisked open and closed as Suzume rushed inside, fleeing as if afraid of what might follow him. She listened to the rustle of his robes and the soft steps of his feet as he came to kneel beside her bed.

"Do you sleep, Hiyashimi?" He inquired quietly.

What an idiotic question.

Even if she had been sleeping, by asking he would've woken her up. All the same, Lin cringed from the warmth in his voice. It undid all the tight knots she used to restrain the ache in her chest. Trying not to make a sound, she drew in a shuddering breath and betrayed herself. Lin felt Suzume's shock go sweeping through the room like the draft that had chilled her earlier.

"A-are you weeping, beloved!?"

Lin couldn't lie; and her voice was thick when she spoke.

"Not anymore."

A foxfire flickered to life overhead, illuminating the room as he pulled back the quilt. His hands were gentle but Lin resisted, burying her face in the futon, ashamed to let him see her.

"Please, beloved," He appealed earnestly, "Do not run from me. What is wrong?"

"I am sad." Lin breathed simply.

"Why are you sad?" He was clearly unnerved.

Again, she couldn't lie.

And there was no way to keep this from him anymore.

"Because I miss Sen. I even miss that stupid dragon and idiot cat. I'm _terrified_ I'll never see them again. I want all of my family here when the kits are born." Lin hushed miserably, holding off from the truth as long as she could. "But most of all I'm angry at myself for not being stronger."

"I… I do not understand," Suzume returned in a hush, "Why are you angry?"

The fox sat back on his heels beside her futon as the foxfire overhead guttered in the wind of his disquiet. Reluctantly Lin forced herself to continue.

"It's a difficult thing to share someone's love… I feel selfish."

There. That was all of it.

As frightening as it was, Lin was glad she had told him her mind. Still, she couldn't look, she was too afraid to see what might be showing in his face. She jumped as his hand smoothed her hair, drawing back and taming the wild tangles and loops suffocating her face.

"I am the selfish one, Hiyashimi. So my sister always told me."

This was the first he had ever mentioned of his family. Lin knew he had lost them, but not how. One did not speak lightly of the dead. But Suzume did not seem bothered to speak of them now.

"I was the youngest and greatly spoiled by both my mother and the humans we served. I do not hesitate to say I was a tyrant of a child and always I had my way, whether by tears or smiles. Sister was always embarrassed."

Lin's lips twitched, because she could picture the imperious little prince he must have been. With her luck the children would inherit their father's stubborn streak. But her amusement faded as suddenly silence filled to the brim with the hammering of rain washed over the room. Lin went still as Suzume laid his head between her shoulders. The smell of spicy camphor overwhelmed her to the point of giddiness as the fox's breath stirred her hair.

"You do not know how to be selfish, Hiyashimi. I do not know why O-Inari-sama has blessed me with a love such as yours. I do not deserve it but I cannot bare the thought of a life without you!" Suzume pronounced with quiet ardor, whispering as if he was afraid someone was listening, "I love you! You give me the greatest gift God or mortal can give: you return the family I have lost. And I _swear_ to you, Hiyashimi, I swear before O-Inari-sama that I will spend the rest of my days trying to love you and our children with the same selflessness you have shown me."

Lin blinked.

Trying…?

The fire his words stroked in her heart went cold on that word.

As if he was trying to hide, the fox buried his face in her hair. Though she could feel his breath fall hot and quick against the soft skin at the back of her neck; she didn't turn to pull him closer. Because he wasn't finished yet; he rushed on towards something he still had to tell. Already the weight of worry was turning her heart to stone. Whatever it was hurt him deeply, filling him with pain until he was shaking with regret.

"Though I have pledged to do so in service of O-Inari-sama, I was never adept at hearing the wishes of others. But for some reason I can hear you. In spite of everything I remain the same selfish child, because I cannot give what you wish for most."

Lin went cold, forced to face what she wanted against her will.

Lin didn't want to share; she didn't want to come second.

She tried to recoil from the truth only to find there was nowhere to go. Suzume must have felt her shoulders bunching. He yanked her to him, holding tightly as if afraid she was about to run.

"She is _dying_ , beloved!" Suzume choked on the word as if admitting it came close to killing him, "I held her in my hands the day she was born. She was so very small. From that moment until now she has been my entire world."

Breathing heavily, caught between fury and sorrow, Lin could only listen as the he continued in a rush. Because the fox's grip was like iron and he weight around her middle like the force of gravity. He rooted her in place even as she considered running all the way back to Ezo to try and escape the pain.

"Though she is no longer my mistress, I cannot withdraw now what I have given all her life. Even as she pushes me away she clings. Even if she does not love me in return, she needs me. Sometimes I wonder if I am the only thing holding her up. She would shatter if I withdrew now."

He faltered, close to begging now as he rested his head on her shoulder.

" _Please,_ beloved… For what little time she has left, forgive me my duplicity; forgive me my secrets."

Cold as grinding stone, Lin's thoughts continued to turn. Suzume was right; he was a selfish creature. Even now he didn't apologize. Instead he asked to be forgiven. And she could feel him waiting for her answer, near to rattling apart in anticipation. Heaving a sigh that weighed as much as a mountain Lin bent like a willow as she forced herself to concede. Instead of pushing him away, she pulled him closer. Finally she learned to be something other than stone, but this is not what she expected.

She couldn't hate Suzume for loving Reika.

It was a blind stupid love born entirely from devotion.

In a way it reminded her of the way Haku loved Sen.

You couldn't temper that kind of love.

You couldn't break it or chase it away.

But you could envy it.

Now it was her turn to be selfish. Lin despaired as she wondered if Suzume would ever love her first. Would he love her first after Reika was gone or would he continue to love the human's memory? It was an ugly thought and Lin recoiled from it just in case he could hear.

"I don't like her," Lin muttered, "But she's family. We do what we must for family."

It wasn't exactly a pardon, but Suzume took it as such.

He was kissing her before she knew it and she melted in happy surprise. The foxfire overhead went ruddy and dim as they struggled with each other until breathless and limp they curled in a heap on top of her futon. Suzume could not stop smoothing her hair as she made a pillow out of his chest, listening to his heart. It drowned even the sound of the rain, filling her with peace.

"Stay with me tonight," she asked knowing he would not.

"I… I cannot. I have never slept anywhere but the foot of her bed," With sincere regret Suzume kissed the crown of her head, nuzzling the part of her hair as he breathed in her scent, "But I will stay as long as I can."

Lin swallowed the bitter lump in her throat, trying to accept the unacceptable.

Then the kits stirred, filling her belly with the oddest swirling sensation.

Half-sitting up, Lin grabbed Suzume's blackened hand and flattened it over her stomach so quickly she startled him. But the fox went stock still as the younglings continued to move.

"There is a boy and a girl." He hushed as his wide gold eyes seemed to stare through her belly, seeing things she couldn't possibly imagine. His awe filled her room from floor to ceiling as a swarm of eddying foxfires multiplied overhead.

"You'll need to name them," Lin blurted, "I've never been good with names."

"Is that so?"

His gold eyes flashed with mirth as they lifted to hers, making her face grow even hotter, making her feel like a young fool. But they dropped back to her stomach, once again going distant.

"For the girl I would offer Makoto; for the boy Kokoro.(4)"

Lin blinked, "Makoto and Kokoro?"

Suzume nodded, "These were the names of my mother and father."

* * *

 **Notes:**

(1) Gaki are hungry ghosts. They're hungry suffering things obsessed with the life they lost, hence they hang out in crowded areas. Alone they can't summon enough will to hurt anyone or anything, but in hordes their combined wills become powerful enough to inflict harm. Gather enough Gaki in a confined area and their hunger begins to become self-consuming. Eventually they will become Forgotten.

Yurei, i.e. ghosts, occupy a spectrum much like the kami, moving from hare (pure) to kegare (profane). Ancestors or strong ghosts can be gods themselves if they are pure of heart. They can choose to linger in the worlds. A step down are the less powerful ghosts, these dim spirits like Kaonashi who can't always remember who or what they are or why they're here. These are the obake who haunt things and often cause problems. Even lower than these are the hungry ghosts, who are beginning to fall prey to their own suffering. Even lower than these, and entering once more into the realm of power, are the Forgotten.

(2) Japanese golden weasels. That's what Lin is.

(3) A traditional type of heater used during cold periods. Eventually it becomes a table that has a radiator under it so you can keep your feet warm when you sit. They are frickin' awesome!

(4) Kokoro is the word for a pure soul. Makoto means sincerity of life born of kokoro. These are essential tenants of Shinto.


	6. Chapter 6

**HAKU**

Feeling fear all too keenly in his swiftly beating heart, Haku hesitated.

Then he followed the cat into the black at the back of the tea house.

The fetid smell of mildew and rotted tea chased him through the shambles that had once been a kitchen. But there was nothing here but broken bits of pottery and a case of stairs so narrow and steep they could have been a ladder. Intuition sent him up through the unnervingly tight casement until the attic yawned open over his head. Like the ribs of a whale, thick beams held up the sharply angled eaves. Clotted with cobwebs and shadows, the attic breathed, drawing in cold draughts of fresh air that smelled very sharply of night and despair. Indigo sky filled the window at the opposite end .The diamond panes were broken, letting the moonlight spill inside.

Bent and hugging her shamisen, Cinna crouched huddled on the sill.

With flattened ears and a bristled tail, her slitted eyes flashed like mirrors in the dark. Her blood red gaze pinned him onto the top step as she stared like a wild thing. Her agitation sent the shadows clustering; they twitched and pulsed, sending an ominous chill chasing up his spine. Knock, knock, knock went his heart, chipping away at his sternum until it felt like any moment like it might burst free. On wobbly legs slowly he approached, managing to hold the cat's gaze until she looked away.

"Aye woulda killed 'im if yeh didn' stop me."

Glad to sit, Haku perched on the opposite sill, "You protected me."

"Earlier, maybe; but not jus' now," Cinna murmured, gripping the neck of her instrument as if afraid it might disappear, "Woulda killed 'im 'cause aye _wanted_ to!"

It was the truth. And Haku was once again stunned by her bloodlust. Miserably, as if sensing his unease, she searched the attic as if trying to find a place to hide from him. Her bristled tail lashed about as once again the truth spilled from her.

"Aye ain't such a nice cat, yeh know!?" Cinna spat remorselessly, growling deep in her throat, "Aye killed afore an' more 'an once an' aye ain't sorry 'bout those times!"

Haku did not want to hear these things. He did not want to hear that she had taken life so heedlessly; it chilled him to the bone! But he could not leave her like this. He owed her his life! And all too quickly the fury fled the cat, leaving her quiet with the regret that she had lacked earlier.

"Bu' now… Aye's afraid o' myself… Aye ain't got nothin' but _hatin'_ sometimes an' i' makes me in t'somethin' else! Turns me t'an _ugly_ thing an' aye's scared tha' someday aye's gonna get lost in tha' _hatin'!_ "

Haku stared at the bare boards beneath his filthy bare feet.

How strange his world had become.

Listening to the cat was like listening to an echo of himself.

For the first time since he had lost Chihiro Haku was glad he was no longer Kami. He learned while closed up inside that terrible closet that he could rage and despair till exhaustion robbed him of consciousness. But he would not be consumed; he could not be transformed. He could never become a Forgotten. He was trapped by flesh. What a serendipitous blessing that turned out to be.

That, however, was no solace for the cat.

Once again helpless, he knew not what to say to comfort her. All he knew was he did not want her to be alone in this horrid place. He wanted her to come downstairs and sit near the fire so they could both find sleep in light and warmth.

"I know what it is to do terrible things," Haku surprised himself as he spoke, not sure what he was saying, "Hate is a curse upon us all. It does not belong to us and yet we cannot be rid of it."

Sadly Haku realized he was not helping. With each word the cat retreated, folding up smaller into the corner of the bay window as if diminished by defeat.

"If aye's doomed t'git eaten up by t'bad then wot's t'point o' even tryin'?"

Searching for answers Haku glanced out the broken window pane as a gust of night air came eddying around him. Beyond the clustering, tilting rack-shamble roves of the old town he could see the oblique darkness of the river. No ships crossed the midnight tributary. And on the other side the hills were on fire with the flickering orange and red lights of the clock tower town. And like the ghost of a great monster, the red oculus of its eye loomed over all else. The town had swollen much larger than he remembered, sprawling across the hills at either side of the gate.

Kami did not usually congregate in this manner. In the old days they were often feral and solitary. Strange that it was now Kami who banded together as mortals did when trying to make way through the great wilderness of forest and sea that once belonged to the Gods. But the worlds had changed greatly since that time. And for Kami it was now true that circumstances were at their darkest when one was alone. One needed the light of others to keep evil away. And it was not enough to collect them, this he had learned from Yubaba. One needed to care for the lights honestly, lest they dwindle and snuff out from neglect. These were truths he had learned at great expense. They were simple, but heavy with worth, because he had learned them from Chihiro.

From the day they met she had taught him these things.

Only now that she was gone did he understand.

"I would miss you if you faded, Okesa. It matters not what you have done for I believe that you are good. You are my friend and will always remain so."

Haku paused as an unknown peace radiated through his body.

What was this feeling?

It felt like magic but was not. He had no name for it.

But it mattered not, because the cat had gone stock still.

No longer sad, she watched him askance with pricked ears and dilated eyes so wide they mirrored the moon. He knew not what to make of her weighty gaze. It made him uncomfortable. So he stood and awkwardly brushed aside the filthy mess of his hair. Pinching a lock between his fingers, he frowned at the shaggy length. It seemed to be growing longer, which was quite a bother. It constantly tickled his eyes, making him blink more than he liked.

"Will you come down?" He requested, trying to be mindful not give orders.

Haku very much wanted the cat to come down to the sitting room. The tanuki's betrayal had shaken him to his core. Suddenly nothing felt certain; everything seemed threatening. Haku jumped as the floor behind him creaked, and fear wore away at his pride until it was shivering at the sight of the shifting shadows. It had served as a vicious reminder that he was no longer the powerful being he had once been. He could still feel the phantom weigh of the collar around his neck and it sent his heart racing.

"Please," he pressed quietly, "You make me feel safe in this place."

Cinna was on her feet too quickly for him to track. Haku recoiled as she shoved Lin's sword into his hands as if desperate to be rid of it.

"Y'keep this from now on in case aye's not around, kay?"

Haku held the knife at arm's length, blinking at the swirling patterns carved into the wooden scabbard. They smelled sharply of indigo dye and made his hands cold and tingly though the metal was completely sheathed.

"W-where did you get this?"

"Sour-puss borrowed it t'me," Cinna headed for the stairs with her shamisen cradled her arms, "Said 'er name's Hanoane (1)."

Ha-no-ane: it meant _sister's teeth_.

A pang of loneliness went echoing through Haku's heart as he realized how much he missed Lin. He missed all the beings at the Onsen, even Aniyaku and the insufferable fox. Putting a hand to his chest, Haku knew he could go back at any moment. He still had the bath token that would lead back to Chihiro's room. But he could not go back, not for a moment's respite, for the moment he set foot on Izu Suzume would no doubt forbid him to leave again.

Then Haku realized he was alone in the shadow infested attic. Hastily following the cat, he slung the blade through the narrow obi at his waist. Blinking rapidly, he paused in the archway leading to the sitting room and not just because of the bright firelight. Seated on worn and tattered cushions before the light of the fire, Usagi was playing _cat's cradle_ with Kaonashi using a piece of discarded string. Apparently the ghost and rabbit had made peace.

"You've got it. That's it. That's it."

With a smile Usagi coached as the demure ghost very carefully took the looped patterns from her fingers with gentle movements incongruous with his terrifying stature. Opposite them Cinna was lounging on the largest pile of pillows with a freshly opened sake crock at her knee. Her shamisen was out of its oil cloth and the black lacquer of its body gleamed in the flickering light. Kaonashi's head jerked up as the cat took the plectrum and struck the strings.

"Ah…" Kaonashi breathed, shivering visibly as the soft sweet music filled the sitting area with a catching calm.

"Do you like music?" Usagi spoke to the ghost as if he was a child, smiling sweetly as she took the string from his hands, more than aware their game was over.

"Ah! Ah!" Kaonashi nodded and nodded and nodded.

"Want another pickle?"

She offered him the crock. Never taking the emptiness of his eye off of the cat or her instrument, the ghost reached blindly, missing several times before Usagi put one of the shriveled vegetables in his tiny black hands. Haku opened his mouth to ask Kaonashi how he had come to be here when suddenly he realized Brother Tanuki was missing. Frantically Haku searched the kitchen only to find Usagi watching him knowingly.

"He's out front," she explained shortly.

"W-what!?" Haku gaped incredulously.

"Don't worry; the Gaki won't touch him, not with the collar on him," Without apology she wound the cord and stashed it in her sleeve, "They're too afraid of it."

That the hungry ghosts would not touch him mattered not! She had put the Oni collar on Brother Tanuki! With it in place he would not be able to move. He would not be able to scream or cry for help as the shadows circled and reached for him. Usagi had chosen a most terrible punishment for the cowardly raccoon. And he retracted his prior assessments of the gentle creature. He had not expected such mercilessness from her.

"S'little cruel dontcha think, bunny baby?" Cinna pronounced evasively while continuing to play, knowing she had no room to comment.

The warmth was gone from the rabbit's face as her dark flinty eyes turned towards the main door, "At least now he knows what it's like to be helpless."

Haku was out the front door onto the porch before he realized what he was doing. Sitting bolt upright in the middle of the front steps as if he was carved from stone; was the tanuki. At his feet; shifting, scuttling all around him like a swarm of black beetles; was a sea of hungry ghosts. They filled the streets like the midnight river filled the plains, undulating through the alleys, milling on top of buildings, filling the air with the harsh distant whispers of their voices. Their empty jet eyes turned on Haku in perfect unison, but they shrank from the light of fire in the sitting room as it spilled around him. With ice pumping through his veins, Haku edged forward and picked up Brother Tanuki's leash, pulling it gently.

"Get inside!" He ordered in a hush.

With jerky movements the fat fellow complied, clambering through the front door on all fours like an animal. The moment the tanuki retreated from the porch Gaki surged at them, fighting their way up the stairs. Haku recoiled in panic, blowing a vicious wind between his lips that sent the black wave dwindling long enough to slam the door. As he bared the latch the camphor smelling fire in the hearth roared up as if in response to his disquiet. And the door quaked and bowed as the latch rattled. Haku put his back to it, pressing with all his might until slowly the clawing and scratching dwindled. Releasing a gusty sigh Haku slid to a seat beside Brother Tanuki. It took him a moment to realize the wild-eyed creature was staring at him with a baffled expression.

"You didn't leave him out there long enough," Haku looked up to find Rabbit woman on her feet. She was wide-eyed and frowning at the door. But her dark eyes fell heavily on the tanuki, "Look at him. He hasn't learned a thing."

The raccoon was glaring hatefully at Usagi.

Grudgingly he was forced to admit she was right.

"I pity you, creature," Haku pronounced frostily over the fat fellow's head as he stood with a disapproving glare, "But my mercy has limits."

Brother Tanuki's eyes widened as they flew back to him. And the obake went perfectly white with fright, which only served to disgust Haku.

"Go to sleep," Haku commanded.

Stepping over him as the raccoon curled up on the bare boards, Haku found himself utterly exhausted. He was tired of pettiness. And he was sick of seeing what it had done to the Gods. Wearily Haku trudged to the fire and added another piece of broken wood to the licking red-orange tongues. Aching all over, he eased himself down onto the floor, pillowing his throbbing head on the cushions beside the cat. Then he helped himself to the sake crock at her feet, pressing himself closer until he could feel the chill emanating from her knees.

"S'nough!" Cinna objected on his second gulp, pausing from her music to wrest the jar from his hands.

With long sigh, Haku melted into the numbing warmth burning in the pit of his belly. Suddenly it was bleeding through his insides, filling him with a peace that felt novel given what had happened of the past tow days. How long he slept Haku was not sure. But his back was stiff when his eyes opened on the dark. Cringing, he rolled on his side only to glance up at Kaonashi. The ghost was staring so intently at the cat that all the hair on her body was standing on end. She did not appear to have slept a wink.

"Neh, bunny baby?" Her ears flattened as her tail lashed irritably as she prodded the sleeping rabbit, "Git yor ghostie t'quit starin'."

Usagi jolted awake with a frown, glancing at Kaonashi.

"S-sorry… But he's not mine, Miss Okesa."

"He belongs to Zeniba." Haku fought his bangs as he sat up. Again the fringe tickled his nose. At once he sneezed and slapped his hands over his face. Gods above, what an _uncanny_ sensation!

"Zeh-nee-who?" Cinna bit back in confusion as she put down her shamisen.

"Ah!" Kaonashi pointed at her instrument imploringly, "Ah-ah-ah?"

"Quit whinin', ghostie!" Cinna hissed, "Aye ain't in ah playin' mood no more!"

Haku looked to the ghost, "Did Zeniba send you, Kaonashi?"

At the sound of his name the ghost turned to regard him with a cryptic expression. And as they stared at one another, Haku's mind began to churn with questions. If she knew of his plight now why had Zeniba not sent Kaonashi earlier?! He could have helped the other bath house kami when they were trapped with the Forgotten in the ruins. Why had she not come herself? Zeniba was a powerful witch, just as powerful as Yubaba. Together the sisters would have been more than formidable.

"Where is Zeniba, Kaonashi?"

"Ah…!" Kaonashi hushed the meaningless quavering sound.

"Who's Zeniba, Miss Okesa?" Usagi whispered.

"How shoul' aye know!?" She hissed back.

"Zeniba is the twin sister of my former mistress," Haku answered sharply, making the cat and rabbit jump, "She was the witch that kept the bath house."

"You worked for Yubaba!?" The rabbit was incredulous, "B-but you're _human_."

Haku ignored the sting of Usagi's pronouncement as something occurred to him. Though he and the witch were not on amicable of terms Zeniba obviously cared for Chihiro. She would not deny him assistance should he ask.

"I need to find Zeniba. She will council me on how to lift Chihiro's curse."

Usagi blinked, once again whispering to Cinna. "Who's Chihiro?"

Kaonashi shook his head in a vigorous no at his declaration, waving his tiny hands as the corners of his mask turned down into a frown, "Ah-ah! Ah-ah- _ah!_ "

"And why not!?" Haku snapped harshly, loosing patience in the ominous shadow of the ghost's reluctance, " _Speak_ , you wretched thing!"

Obviously afraid, Kaonashi shrank from Haku's vehemence.

Cinna grabbed his shoulder, forcing him to a seat.

"Don' yell at 'im, kiddo. He don' got t'words t'tell yeh wotcha want t'know."

Once again her steady red eyes pinned him in place as anger filled Haku's chest to the point of bursting. But the hard feelings subsided and Haku sagged in defeat as he realized she was right. And the glimmer of hope he had once nursed died in his heart.

"Ah...?"

Haku glanced at Kaonashi as he appealed to Cinna, pointing at her shamisen. Casting her attention between the ghost and the instrument, she held it up.

"This wotcha want?  
"Ah-ah-ah!" He nodded vigorously, reaching pleadingly.

Unsure, Cinna glanced at Usagi who shrugged timidly. And an anxious prickle went spidering up Haku's back as the cat held out the shamisen so Kaonashi could more closely inspect it. As if of its own volition the instrument let out a humming sound that only served to intensify the ghost's interest.

"I would not recommend that…" He cut in far too late.

With uncanny swiftness Kaonashi plucked the instrument from the cat's hands.

In a single gulp he swallowed the shamisen whole.

" _NO!"_ Cinna screeched.

Her voice boomed like an explosion in the close quarters of the sitting room.

In a twist of pulsing shadows the cat transformed, lifting up into a great black bake-neko with jagged fangs; curved yellow claw; and lashing twin tails. With another monstrous yowl she launched herself at Kaonashi. They hurled back onto the floor with such force that the boards of the raised sitting area splintered around them, dropping them down into the dirt in an obscuring plume of dust.

Usagi screamed and threw herself back, knocking right into Haku as he stood. They toppled over and sprawled on the floor, missing being hit by Kaonashi as he flew from the cloud and hit at the far wall. The wind of his passing sent the fire guttering and flaming brands jolted out of the hearth as he hit the far wall.

With a squeal like a pig, it heaved outward, dragging the entire building off its foundations and setting it a kilter as plaster rained all around them. Again Usagi gasped, slapping at the embers burning holes in her tattered kimono. More fires were springing up as the rug and splinters of wood caught fire. Without thinking Haku reached outward with his magic and found water pooling under the store from a series of broken pipes. This he hastily called between the cracks in the floor with waves of his hands. The floor went off like a sprinkler system, smoothing the fires and drenching them both.

"A-apologies!" Haku coughed, wiping the water from his face as the soaked rabbit stared at him agape, "Y-you were on fire!"

They cringed into each other in the gloom as Kaonashi fell to the ground from where he had lodged in the wall, making the whole building jolt and shutter. The ceiling whined and shifted dangerously. Coughing, choking, and drenched as well, Cinna heaved herself out of the hole in the floor. Although she was reduced to her mortal guise by the shock of water, the cat was no less furious. On hands and knees she clawed her way across the floor to seizing Kaonashi by his filmy robes, seizing him only to shaking him viciously. At once Haku was glad she had relinquished Lin's blade; otherwise the ghost would have been in ribbons. Although at the rate Cinna was mercilessly clawing Kaonashi would not be long till he was!

" _Give 'im back!"_ She snarled, _"Give 'im back else aye'll gut yeh myself!"_

Something flew across the room as she punched Kaonashi right in the face.

Haku jolted as something skittering up to his toes.

Starting back, he stared at the cryptic smile of the familiar ivory mask.

With a gasp Cinna dropped the ghost and scrambled back until she hit the wall, making another creaking moan go shuddering up the wall. The beleaguered ghost rolled onto its stomach, quaking with pain. But something had changed about Kaonashi. On his feet and pulling free of Usagi, Haku approached cagily. The trembling hand that reached for the cat was no longer out of proportion. Beneath the ghost's filmy robes was a human form. Then Kaonashi spoke in a voice that did not belong to him.

"Iihito…!"He gasped. (2)

The cat jolted at the sound of the voice. All color drained from her face as the thing rolled onto its back, revealing the pale and bruised face of a young human male inside the cowl of the ghost's robes. No, not a man, but the ghost of a man made real by Kaonashi.

"Cinna," Haku covered his mouth with a hand, "What is this?!"

As the stranger's eyes fluttered open Haku recoiled, because they were black as the emptiness that stared out of Kaonashi's mask. The human's jet gaze fixed on Haku with unnerving acuity as slowly he sat up with difficulty. Gingerly pushing back the hood, the man revealed perfectly white hair only slightly disarranged from its top-knot. Unlike the tradition of the time, his pate was not shaved, which meant he had been poor. His hair style was just as antiquated as the slow formal bow he performed with a grimace of pain.

"I am known as Tomoe (3), Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi."

He spoke in such archaic Japanese it took Haku a moment to understand. He had not heard this dialect spoken in some time. The ghost's melodic tenor was strangely compelling and fit well with the ancient patterns of speech. All the same, it made him just as cautious.

"How is it you know my true name?" Haku returned coldly.

"I have bargained with one you call Kaonashi. In doing so I learned much."

Haku's frown darkened, "And what bargain is this?"

Sitting back on his heels, the ghost met his gaze with unnerving black eyes.

"He is the body I no longer have, just as I am now the voice he has lost." Tomoe bowed lower, "We have much to tell you, Master Haku."

Haku cringed from the respect he no longer deserved. It was annoying but also comforting, because this kind of etiquette was lost on the current age. It made Haku feel less a fool and more like himself. Abruptly the ghost sat back; cringing from the light filtering through the front windows. A ray of dawn pierced a hole in the wall, pouring over him. With a hoarse cry Tomoe threw up his hands as smoke lifted from his exposed face. Instantly Cinna was shielding him with her body, hiding him in shadow while yanking his hood over his head and pulling the tall neck of his robes over his nose.

"Neh, bunny baby, toss me 'is mask!" The cat demanded shortly.

Rabbit woman hastily threw the ivory visor to her mistress. This the cat fitted over Tomoe's veiled face before carefully checking him to make sure that none of his pale flesh was exposed. .

"Y'gotta be careful, neh Tommie?" The cat hushed quickly, "T'light cun hurt yeh. Don' take tha' off less it's night 'r' in t'dark."

She held the stranger close, struggling as if to hold him closer for he was no stranger to her. All the while she purred exuberantly and rubbing her face against the crown of the ghost's head with bald affection Haku had never before seen from the cat.

"Y-yes, Iihito!" The ghost clung round Cinna's waist even though he need not hide from the sun any longer.

But the tender moment broke sharply as what was left of the tea house let out a petulant sigh. With a shivering pop, one of the rafters overhead snapped free and came swinging through the center of the sitting area before striking the hearth, passing between Haku and Usagi and missing them by fractions.

 _"Outside!"_ Haku thundered as he threw his hand at the front door. It dissolved into splinters, bursting out into the gray morning as the rest of the shop moaned and shrieked, dropping more rafters and plaster.

"Get up!" Usagi yanked on Brother Tanuki's leash, "Follow me!"

Bless the rabbit's presence of mind, because Haku had forgotten all about the raccoon. He was the last out into the chilly street as the sagging swaying tea house folded in on itself like a house of cards, expiring in a plume of dust. Bits of rubble rained and rolled from the lifting cloud into the exposed in the street. But the Gaki were long gone. The sky was clear and blue and the Sun was already climbing from the horizon. Nothing but the mournful eyes of the ruined buildings in the old restaurant district stared up at them from the hill below.

Then the whistle of a train sounded distantly.

Haku whirled towards the sound with his heart thrilling in his throat. Kicking up a wind in passing, he sprinted up the steps and through the alleys until he was peering over the ledge beneath the rotting cypress. As the tree quaked in the rushing gale Haku gazed down at the familiar yellow train chugged across the glassy face of the blue-green sea. At once he was reaching into the fold of his kimono searching for the umbrella. Then Tomoe spoke up from the shadows of the cypress, giving him such a fright he started back, dropping the umbrella. Swift as ever, the ghost had followed him.

"Zeniba is gone, Lord Nigihayami."

Tomoe picked up the fallen parasol but held it in his transparent hands. The ghost was barely visible in the daylight, fading away into nothing at the ground. He was about Haku's height, perchance a hand shorter. But size meant nothing when it came to speed. The ghost could not catch him if he took to the air. It was not that far a drop. Though he did not have the umbrella he could call a wind to slow his fall. As if hearing his thoughts the stranger waylaid him with information.

"Yubaba sent her son to Zeniba before the bath house fell. They fled when the Forgotten killed the Witch. That is why Zeniba did not send help to those left behind."

Stunned by the revelation, it took Haku a moment to find his voice.

"Where has she gone?" He demanded ungraciously, "I must speak with her!"

"Apologies, my lord, but Kaonashi does not know," Tomoe bowed regretfully, "He was separated from his mistress during their flight. Slowly he found his way back to the bath house along the tracks. It took some time and by then the others had gone."

Desolately Haku sagged against the cypress as the hope in his heart burned out. He flinched as Tomoe gathered up in the shadow pulling from the foot of the snag, holding out the umbrella as if he knew Haku would no longer try to flee. Taking it back he shoved the thing into the fold of his tatter cloak, all the while watching the yellow train fade into the horizon.

"Forgive me for speaking out of turn, but there are other witches from whom you might seek council in lifting lady Chihiro's curse."

Shocked by the ghost's intimate knowledge, outrage mounted in Haku's chest. Pushing away from the tree, he eyed the former man warily. It was as if the book of his life has been placed open before this being. Haku did not like that the stranger knew his troubles so deeply.

"How do you know these things? Who are you, answer me truly!"

Somberly the ghost's jet black eyes flashed from behind Kaonashi's mask. Something in his gaze was far too familiar.

"I am the soul that resides in the shamisen Kaonashi has eaten." Tomoe placed a gloved hand over his gut. "I have watched you since you first came to the Onsen. Before that I was a man who loved an impossible woman. For that love I was murdered. Even in death I chose to love her. So I changed in order to remain by her side. And now I have made a bargain so I may change again. In this form I may better serve her and those she serves."

Tomoe looked down the steps and back the way they came as a flash of black sprinted into the plaza below. Catching sight of them, the distant figure skidded to a halt.

" _Oi!"_

Tomoe snorted as the cat stomped her foot, shouting furiously from the distance. Usagi came chasing after Cinna shortly, struggling to keep up with the fleet footed cat and dragging the fat tanuki behind her. He did not run nearly so fast when he was not chased by Oni. Leaving the pair in her wake, Cinna came bounding up to the top step, once again stomping her foot.

"Wot's t'big idea takin' off like tha', y'dummy!? Ain't noby gonna go 'round here by they's self no more, got it!?"

"Peace, Okesa," Tomoe cut in, "He did not go alone."

Instantly her tail bristled out, "Dontcha take 'is side, _ghostie!_ "

Again he snorted, "You have not changed at all, Iihito."

He could hear the smile in the ghost's voice. The sound took all the fight out of the cat. Glancing between the Tomoe and Cinna, Haku fell still with understanding; because the cat was indeed an impossible woman. Who was he to assume that he was the only one in the world who suffered in love? That he had made such a conceited assumption filled Haku with burning shame.

"Apologies," Haku had to clear his throat as suddenly his voice went thick.

"Damn right y'should 'pologize!" Cinna scratched her nose awkwardly, "Don' do tha' again!"

Eying the cliff, Usagi took a step backwards, "What now, Miss Okesa?"

"Will y'quit callin' me tha'!?"

At once the cat sank into a crouch holding her stomach. It gurgled and whined as she lashed her tail with flattened ears. Brother Tanuki blanched as Cinna eyes him sideways as if trying to decide on how big a pot was needed to cook him.

"He wouldn't taste too good, ma'am," Usagi giggled behind her hand.

"Ma'am's jus' as bad as miss, bunny baby," Cinna muttered irritably as she nodded at the raccoon, "What we gonna do with 'im, eh?"

The cat was looking at him. Haku turned his heavy gaze onto Brother Tanuki. Again felt the infuriating surge of sympathy for the wretched creature. It made the hardness in his heart fracture.

"We will let him go."

" _What!?"_ Usagi choked, "You can't be serious!?"

"I am." Haku held out his hand for the leash.

Silently she appealed to the cat; but Cinna would not meet her gaze. As she turned her back it was obvious that she relinquished all say in the matter. Now trembling with rage, Usagi viciously yanked the tanuki after her. Her dark eyes had once again went flinty as they filled with dark ominous things.

"He almost killed you!"

Reluctantly Haku glanced at the tanuki. Wide-eyed and perfectly still, the raccoon's eyes darted back and forth between them with a stained, conflicted expression. Hate and elation did not mix. But still, a strangely unfamiliar uncertainty made Haku hesitate. Had he not looked upon his captors similarly when he was shackled? Had he not though to eat the raccoon and his sisters? The thought that he could be similar to the Tanuki made Haku sick to the bottom of his empty belly. And in a rush he wanted to be done with this place; he wanted to forget that it had ever happened.

"That is in the past," he returned hoarsely, "Give me the leash."

"You can't let him get off so easy!" Usagi bit back with scathing fury, "He gets to go home to a great big house! He gets to lord over all the servants and treat them like nothing! He's glad his mother's gone, just look at him! At least we could trade him for some gold or some food. Lots of kami would buy him for a pet."

The outrage that ignited in his gut took so swiftly Haku did not realize he had advanced on the rabbit woman until he towered over her with a growl resounding deep in his chest. He did not know he could still summon such a sound. It sent the rabbit quaking with terror. She cowered on the steps, thrusting out the end of the chain as if it was a spell to hold him at bay. Haku yanked the leash from her trembling fingers.

"Listen to your words, Usagi. You think no better than the Tanuki."

The rabbit fled to the safety of the cat's shadow as he pulled the ring from the fold of his tatter cloak. There were easily hundreds of keys bristling on the loop. At a loss he tried one at random. It turned smoothly in the lock and the horrid metal collar clattered loudly on the stones. Quick as lightning, Brother Tanuki scrambled away, flopping and rolling down the steps until he once again became the yellow bouncing ball. Hurtling off into the ruined town he disappeared between the silent shambled sea of leaning tea shops and piles of rubble.

"S'none o' my affair whatcha do wit' 'im," Cinna sniffed, looking after the tanuki with dilated eyes, "But were tha' such ah good idea?"

"I no longer care. This place is not only dead, it is _rotting_ ," With a melancholy shudder Haku turned his back on the bones of the Bath House, "I shall never return."

* * *

 **Notes:**

(1) Hanoane = ha-no-ane. It means "Sister's Teeth."

(2) Iihito = beloved. It's another form of koiibito, which means sweetheart.

(3) Tomoe is the name for the collection of three circling magatama that is often seen through Japanese visual art and decoration. It is a metaphor for the human spirit, and a pun on the fact that Tomoe is a ghost.


	7. Chapter 7

**LIN**

Lin tried not to scream as the guest chatted her ear off.

"I just love it here, don't you?" The human tittered, "There's nothing like this back in Sakai. Its way too industrial. I suppose we could've gone across to Kyushu, but it's too touristy over there and there's way too many people. There's hardly anyone at all out here, the quiet it such a nice change. My boys would love it here. The stream out front is full of frogs!"

Flitting from side to side of the covered hall between the bath wing and the main house, the wide-eyed human would not shut up. The vapid woman was the fourth of a group of middle aged mothers on a girl's trip away from their families and husbands. None of them seemed to know what to do with themselves. For some unfathomable reason this one had taken a liking to her. Wearing a yellow yukata printed with lanterns, the round faced mortal stood right in her way; blocking the rest of the veranda she had every intention of scrubbing.

Suddenly Lin was reminded of how much she hated yellow.

But she could not yell at the woman.

She could not frighten her away like she did the frogs.

The human was a guest.

"Where are you from? Did you grow up around here? Honestly, you're so much taller than everyone I can't say you're from here."

"Yana!" One of the human's companions called from the bath wing.

"It's the woman's shift for the rotenburo!" Another chimed in, "Get over here before the men come back!"(1)

"Coming!" She shouted, making Lin wince, "Bye, then. It was nice talking."

Heaving a sigh of relief at the sound of the human's retreating steps, Lin glared out of the sliding doors into the garden as she heard a familiar chuckle. Yoshi was on top of his ladder as usual, pruning globes out of reaching arms of pine. Beneath him Little Green Frog was raking the mosses clean of leaves and clippings. Both were wearing their mortal guises, but she saw through their

"What's so funny, frogmen?" She muttered irritably.

Yoshi hastily picked up his pace, "N-n-nothing, Miss Lin."

Far more fearless than his best friend, L.G. beamed up at her, showing the gap between his front teeth as he happily leaned on his rake.

"I think it's nice that she likes you."

"Hmph!" Hooking the edge of the paper slider with her toe, Lin slammed it shut.

Quickly finishing the hallway, she gathered up her bucket and brush and headed for the entryway, hoping to finish scrubbing the kitchen floor before it was her turn to sit at the welcome desk. Amano was working on the noon meal, but she could clean around him. The human was surprisingly good at working around other people in close quarters, a skill no doubt learned after working so many years on fishing boats. Amano didn't feel the need to chatter the way most humans did. His quiet presence was a much needed respite at the moment.

"Um… Lin?"

Another voice caught her before she could retreat back into the kitchen.

"Yeah, what is it now!?"

Turning, she found Kiri hiding behind the welcome station. Wearing the Onsen's indigo yukata, the human was absolutely white faced. Lin scowled before realizing she'd scared Kiri. She wilted, dropping her bucket so she could pinch the bridge of her nose.

"Didn't mean to scare you."

"S'okay," Kiri swallowed a bit shakily as she climbed back up onto the stool, "You move really, um… _quick_ sometimes."

Lin looked her up and down with a long considering stare. She wasn't far enough along to be getting ill, but by the Gods she was skinny! Amano'd have to fatten her up some more before the morning sickness set in. Humans took far longer to have their babies then Kami. How they could stand to waddle around for months upon months of pregnancy Lin could not fathom! Again, it took her a moment to realize Kiri was shaking, gripping the edge of the welcome station as she glared back furiously.

"H-how…!?" Kiri demanded hoarsely, "How do you know!?"

Lin blinked as something occurred to her.

"You haven't told him yet."

Kiri's face wiped with surprise as her eyes brimmed. At once Lin was waving her only hand like a fool as if she could scare away the human's tears.

"No, no! Don't cry!" She hissed in exasperation.

Too late.

Grabbing Kiri by the arm Lin hauling her out front of the Onsen; hastily checking for guests and finding none present. Pulling the human behind her, they skirted the fence line and pushed into the dense foliage of the rhododendron forest growing in the shade of the wall. Inside the shrubs were almost hollow and springy moss tickled between her toes as dappled green light filtered from above. Lazily fleeing their presence, mushi uncurled from the top branches and floated upwards like plankton seeking out the light of the surface. It smelled good here, like wet clean dirt and the sharp green smell that came from the breathing leaves.

It was a good place to cry.

Until recently the fox's feet were riddled with bruises due to the house's ire. Onsen had stopped picking on Suzume so mercilessly since Lin discovered this place. It was a bad habit to indulge tears. They were sacred things not to be waste. But Lin would never be a sacred thing so she could waste all she wanted.

Kiri put her back to Lin and quaked with shuddering sobs. Normally this kind of thing would've put Lin into a rage. Perhaps she was getting soft, but she couldn't very well threaten to throw the human into the river. The poor thing might faint from fear. She couldn't expect Sen's strength from this mortal. Kiri was still too new to this world and on her way over she had suffered much. She sounded so wretched Lin sighed gustily.

"Cry all you want here," Awkwardly she patted the human's shoulder, "No one can hear you."

"D-d-does anyone else k-k-know!?" Kiri stammered, sounding like Yoshi.

"No," Lin hardened a bit, taking back her hand as Kiri dried her face on her trussed up sleeve, "You haven't told anyone at all, have you?"

"I wasn't sure," Her whisper was terrified, "I wanted to wait until I was sure."

"You are," Lin pronounced definitively, "And it's nothing to be afraid of."

 _"What t'fuck do you know!?"_ Kiri snapped back.

Lin filled with indignation, towering up until if felt like her head broke through the top of the bush. Grinding her teeth, she rooted herself in place to keep from hitting the Kiri. Instead she glowered until the color drained from the human's cheeks. Unconsciously Kiri's hands went to her stomach, covering it. It was such a subtle movement. Anyone else would have missed it. But Lin saw. And it took the fight right out of her.

"Girl…" Lin growled in exasperation, "You've gotta watch your mouth!"

"S-s-sorry!"

Kiri sank onto her heels, staring at the dirt as she wiped her face.

"Why haven't you told him?" Lin blurted into the awkward quiet.

"Because I wanted him t'marry me for me."

Lin blinked rapidly, "That doesn't make any sense."

"He married Manami 'cause she got pregnant and 'cause he felt obligated… I don't want him t'marry me for t'same reasons he married her."

"Reasons don't matter when it comes to the heart," Lin muttered, "You need to tell him."

"Why?!" Kiri seethed quietly, "Can't I just wait till we get married? It's not that long, just another month. Then it'll be a happy thing. Then nobody will judge us like they did with Manami. Maybe then everyone in town'll stop lookin' at me like I'm some kinda _whore_ 'cause we're livin' together!"

Welll… She certainly had a chip on her shoulder. Not knowing what to say, Lin chewed on her nails as the former temple maiden dropped her head until the fringe of her hair hid her face. She sounded close to tears again.

"Kei won't talk to me… He won't even let me see Granddad!"

"You're brother's an idiot," Lin chewed the irony, not liking the taste, "He doesn't understand and that makes him afraid."

"Huh?" Utterly lost, Kiri looked up her searchingly.

As she did her eerie miss-matched eye glimmered like a shell catching the light. Lin frowned, because the human was still saturated with the touch of the Spirit World. Just being near Kiri would give any sensitive human the creeps. That was another reason was why she belonged at the Onsen and not in the village. What better place for a haunted human than a haunted house? How she had managed to survive was still beyond Lin's comprehension. O-Inari-sama must have intervened, there was no other explanation. But that didn't change the fact that no one had told Kiri what was wrong with her. She needed someone to help her make sense of what had happened and Reika certainly wasn't stepping up to the job.

Mrs. Nikkou hadn't even held a funeral.

Then again, Hidé wasn't dead.

But funerals were for the living. It would at least give the village a chance to say good bye. It would bring closure to people like Nani and the rest of the village. Kumomi grieved the same loss that the old woman did. But as if she was the one who had died, Mrs. Nikkou seemed content to fade away beneath the power of her grief heedless to what else she was dragging with her. That was until Kiri and Amano revived her. Lin owed Kiri for that. All the same, anger sent a bitter taste through Lin's mouth as she was forced to hold her tongue over the old woman refusal to talk. Suzume certainly wasn't about to force her. Her silence wasn't helping anyone!

If Sen was here this wouldn't be a problem. But Sen wasn't here and Lin tried not to think about it, tried not to remember that it had almost been a full month now. A month and still there was nothing! Lin's heart went tight and heavy as the thought weighted her down. Lin's insides sank with dismay until she was crouching beside Kiri.

"Sorry to be blunt, girl, but you should be dead. I'm glad you're not, but that doesn't change the fact that you're unclean."

Stunned by her words, Kiri blinked as red came flooding back into her face.

"I had a shower this morning!"

"Not that kinda unclean!" (2)

Lin sighed in exasperation. Gods above, this girl had been a temple maiden!?

"Look… You've still got a touch of death about you. That dumb priest brother of yours probably doesn't know what to think of it. It'll probably take a couple months to fade completely, but until then some people are gonna look at you funny. Being here with us will help. You'll seem normal when we're around. Take as many baths here as you can. The camphor tree water will help wash away whatever got left behind."

Suddenly Kiri caught hold of Lin's empty sleeve, startling her upright. She yanked the human with her, forcing her to catch her as the girl nearly flew to pieces.

"It's gone, right?! It's not still in me, is it!? It can't come back, can it?!"

Blind with panic,Kiri was close to ripping off Lin's sleeve.

Several stitches gave with jarring pops.

"It's gone! Now let go of me!"

More than unnerved, Lin forced the Kiri at arm's length. The former temple maiden was strong for a human, even if she was an idiot to match her brother. And Lin stared at the quaking human, at a loss as the stricken girl turned inward. There was still a shadow about her, a wildness that was out of place. She'd have to tell Suzume about this.

As if summoned by her thoughts, the fox called her name, making her jump.

"Hiyashimi!"

He was at the front of the house. Gravel crunched as he drew closer.

"Confound it, woman! Where are you?!"

Not knowing what else to do, Lin shoved Kiri out of the opposite side of the rhododendron hedge, through the gap in the fence, and into the narrow emptiness between the shrub and the fence. Silently willing her to keep her mouth shut, Lin retreated back into the hedge, coming up short as Suzume pushed his way into the hollow at the heart of the vegetation. His face was a black as his mood. He wore the robes of the old mountain man he often pretended. That explained it. Suzume had been to see Keiichi again. Like his sister, the priest had an uncanny knack for pissing people off.

"What in the name of Holy Inari are you doing in here!?"

"Uh… Hiding."

Lin blurted the truth before she could think to answer with a question.

"Hiding from whom!?" He fought to disentangle his long hair from the bare branches at the heart of the plant.

"The chatty human with the yellow yukata," Lin wilted, "She gives me no peace."

It wasn't the real truth but at least it was true. Intuition told her now was not the time to talk to Suzume about Ikiri. He was prone to rash decisions when he was wound up like this. The fox might do something hasty like rescinding his welcome if he found out a shadow might still be clinging to Kiri. Lin couldn't risk it.

Suzume snorted, "She is lonely, Hiyashimi."

"Lonely!? She's got four other humans to chat up! Why's she picking on me!?

"Because you reminder her of her mother," Suzume replied quietly, "You may not see it, but being here and talking to you has helped a great deal. She will leave at peace."

Without further explanation of how he knew these things he was back to pulling on his hair. Lin batted his hands away and deftly freed the long tail from the thicket.

"I'm no good with people," she muttered beneath her breath, yanking him down so she could pick twigs from his hair. Heat climbed into her cheeks as the fox complied only to rest his head on her shoulder, surprising her as he pulled her close.

"To the contrary, beloved; I have learned much from your kindnesses."

Lin blinked as her knees trembled beneath the power of his scent. And it was impossibly not to tighten her only arm around his neck, breathing him in. Never in her life had she wanted something so much as she wanted him. Stupid, stupid fox...

Lin went bolt still as a branch behind her snapped.

"What is it?" Suzume's attention pricked, "Do they kick?"

He was more than excited as he drew back to flatten his hands over her stomach. She couldn't push him away when he was touching her this way. She lost all her thorns when he spoke of the kits. He was such a young father and easily enchanted by any movement. As if having twins inside her belly wasn't enough, the fox had spent most of their evenings with his head pillowed on her stomach, listening to their children grow.

"No," Lin smiled in spite of herself, "They sleep this morning."

"What is it then?" He was peering at her intently with solemn gold eyes, "Are you ill again? Have you eaten enough?"

In truth she was ravenously hungry. And by the time the leaves began to turn she was going to be showing. Luckily she could hide under a haori as the weather turned cold, but she would not be able to explain away her suddenly voracious appetite.

"Enough!" Lin pushed him away, trying not to smile, "What do you want?"

He blinked, staring at her in confusion as if baffled that she couldn't guess. Abruptly the fox turned away and was pacing round the thick trunk of the rhododendron. As if he wanted to hide, his kimono mimicked dusky browns, tea stain yellows, and the gentle overlapping lines of the wide waxy leaves.

"Need I a reason to see you?" He was defensive, "I thought perhaps you might take the noon meal in my company."

Lin found her mouth hanging open. In spite of his usual infuriatingly self-centered way of phrasing things, this was the first time she could recall the fox wanting to spend time with her during the day. Between cleaning duties, reservations, guests, and accounting, she barely had a moment to herself all day. She saw the fox at meals, but he sat beside Mrs. Nikkou. She sat at the end of the table closest to the door, opposite from Amano, Kiri, and Kai. Lin only saw Suzume at night in the privacy of her room and only after Reika had gone to sleep. He would sneak back to the foot of the old woman's bed sometime before dawn. The first time she'd woken alone Lin was embarrassed to admit she had cried. But she was used to it now. This, however, was a complete departure from the fox's usual agenda.

"Is that a good idea?" She murmured anxiously even though the old woman was no where in hearing range, "What about Reika?"

He bristled, obviously put out as he crossed his arms and pouted like a child.

"She has chosen to forego the noon meal to watch the box that makes noise with that intolerable frog. Apparently there is a much coveted _story_ they cannot bear to miss."

By intolerable frog he meant Aniyaku. And by _box-that-makes-noise_ he referred to the mortal thing known as a television.

Amano had brought a replacement from the village to replace the black and white picture box that only worked when you fed it small rectangles of tangy smelling plastic. Lin did not like the electricity that made the thing run. It made her hair stand on end whenever she went near it. Against her wishes the frogmen had brought it into the kami wing and placed it like a God on the shelf opposite the great table. Aniyaku was in love with the thing. Sometimes she could hear it humming through the floor boards well into the night, punctuated from time to time by a gasp or chuckle.

Lin should have been happy to have this chance for time with Suzume.

But she wasn't. It was too bitter a reminder of the fact that he always took his meals with Reika.

Now that the she had abandoned him of course he came seeking her company.

Lin was out of the hedge and striding away trying to outrun her own anger.

"Hiyashimi! Hiyashimi, wait!"

As she knew he would, Suzume chased. She let him catch her, forced to come up short as he appeared with his burned hands holding shoulders.

"I do not understand why you are angry!"

Lin could have shoved him aside. Better yet, she could have tossed him into the laughing brook. Again Lin struggled not to yell, because like many of the things in this world, the fox was a fragile thing. Not looking at him helped. Instead she scowled at the stones under his feet to avoid looking at his helpless expression. Taking several steadying breathes, she managed to keep her voice low if not calm.

"It is difficult to come second, Suzume."

She felt the revelation hit him in a flash like lightning. At once the hem of his kimono drained of color as quietly he withdrew his hands, turning away towards the hushing rush of the stream. Looking up at him she found the fox's face pulled into deeply conflicted lines as his gold eyes stared off into nowhere. They closed as he bowed his head as if in prayer. She could barely hear him over the water's incessant voice.

"Words must seem empty beside my actions, but know there are no firsts in my heart. Were I able to cut myself in two gladly I would, beloved."

Lin realized then he hadn't meant his offer the way she'd taken it. And she was sorry; sorry to the bottom of her heart. Seizing him by the back of his kimono Lin yanked him into a rough embrace, hugging him tightly as she turned her face into his shoulder. Though they could only speak the truth to each other but sometimes it seemed like they were speaking different languages. How easy it was to misunderstand.

Clasping her only hand in his, Suzume leaned on her heavily.

Lin was sure he would have fallen had she moved.

The same was true in reverse.

Standing together silently, they held each other up.

Then in the distance Natsumi shouted, giving them both a fright.

" _Lin!?"_

The old yuna appeared out the front of the Onsen. Hastily they separated as the cleaning woman caught sight of them. With uncanny speed Natsumi caught Lin's only arm, pulling her towards the house.

"You must come at once!"

The old yuna pulled with a strength she could not ignore. In a blink they passed the confused guests in the sitting room, pushing through the curtain down into the empty kitchen. Amano was nowhere to be seen in spite of the great earthenware pots bubbling away on the stove stop and skewered mochi charring over the hearth coals. Lin didn't want to think about what could have made the human leave the kitchen unattended.

 _Gods, no! Please not yet! Not yet!_

Silently Lin prayed as she broke ahead of Natsumi, running now. Onsen met her on the bridge, crowding around her head like an anxious flock of moths. But a voice brought Lin to a halt in the middle of the covered walkway so abruptly her feet skidded with hot biting friction on the slick boards. As she opened her mouth to call for the old woman Suzume ran into her from behind. He caught her before she could sprawl on the floor. Bent above her he fell still, obviously hearing what she heard.

Sen's voice coming from the God wing. She was laughing.

Blurring through the open slider Lin and Suzume came up short. The Bath House kami were gathered in the sitting area beyond the enormous table. So was Reika. The old woman was clutching Amano's hand. The mortal cook still wore his apron, holding a long pair of cooking chopsticks in his other. Beside them sat the trio of gaping frogmen. With eerily huge eyes Hiko and Ginka looked back as Natsumi pushed by, pale as her gray hair as the little yuna pointed.

"Lady Sen's on the TV."

Again Sen's laughter filed the room.

Lin knees folded. She would have sat on the floor right there had Suzume's not held her up.

Sen's voice was tinny over the speakers of the television, but it was still her voice. It had been so long since Lin heard that voice. Then Sen's face filled the box like some kind of magic trick, like she was about to climb free and join them. She looked different; it was more unnerving, because she had changed somehow. She seemed more confident, not at all timid as she'd sometimes been at the Onsen. Her hair was pulled up in a twist and she wore lipstick that made her look like her mother. For a moment Lin didn't recognize her. But around her neck; hanging on a silver chain, was Haku's scale. Tearing herself from Suzume's hands, Lin was across the room, sitting on the floor between Hiko and Ginka, reaching towards the screen without realizing it. With a gasp she recoiled from an electric shock as her fingers made contact with the hot glass of the box's face. The picture flickered as the speakers fizzled.

"Don't touch it, Miss Lin." Hika counseled.

Ginka nodded and nodded like Aniyaku, "It bites."

All fell perfectly still as Sen spoke as if from another world.

 _I didn't know what I was doing, you know? I tried school and that didn't work. You remember, I hardly made it through your class. It took me a while, but then I figured it out. I don't care how; I just want to help people._

Another familiar voice cut in as the image shifted. At once Professor Saito was sitting in a chair in the bland, non-descript room. He was gazing over his steepled fingers with searching dark eyes looking both impressed and baffled by the changes in Sen; as if he didn't know what to make of her. Because she didn't mention the Onsen; she didn't mention the accident. And Lin could see the questions brimming inside the human male. Somehow the professor held himself in check and asked an entirely different question.

 _Is that why you've come to Tokyo and taken up your current project?_

Lin didn't want to see Saito-san. He practically lived at the Onsen.

"Go back! I want to see Sen!" Lin snapped, waving at the TV until it did.

 _It is._ Sen announced with another beaming smile. _Kodansha publishing is working with me on a_ _new special edition of_ Spirited Away _. Whatever profits are generated beyond the costs of producing the book will go to the Japanese National Children's Hospital. It'll be fully illustrated by the patients at the Tokyo branch and it'll also have a brand new forward written by one of the foremost authorities on Japanese folklore, Professor Saito Kanda. I believe you've heard of him._

The image flicked back to the professor who was grinning widely.

 _I have heard of that scoundrel. Why you picked him I'll never understand. Many of our viewers are probably curious, Miss Ogino. Why Children's Hospital._

Again she laughed and this time seemed a bit overwhelmed and pink in the cheeks.

 _I get a lot of letters from all around the world. My favorites are the ones from kids. Just the other day I got a drawing from a little girl at Children's Hospital. I should have brought it but I forgot! Ha-ha! Oh, you should have seen it, Saito-sensei. I'm sure Miyazaki-san would give her a job on the spot and she's only 11. That got me thinking, you know? My book is for them. It's about time that I start giving back what they've already given me._

 _Well said._ Saito shuffled the papers in his hands as the screen flicked back to him. _And it brings me back to something important. You said earlier that you think people need something to believe in. I've been dying to ask you this question ever since I saw the interview you gave almost ten years ago._ Suddenly he sobered. _Do you still believe that Kami exist?_

The picture closed in on Sen's face. With an unwavering smile she looked out of the television. Her endless brown eyes no longer belonged to the child Lin once knew. As if bespelled by the power in those eyes; Lin couldn't look away.

 _There's nothing like the power of belief, Saito-sensei. People need it. It doesn't really matter what I believe. What does matter is people need to believe in each other and the good that's inside all of us._

She hadn't answered his question and Lin found herself wishing she had. If Sen said she still believed in the Gods then there would at least have been hope she might remember something, anything that might lead her home.

 _Indeed, Ogino-san. I couldn't agree more._

Professor Saito steepled his hands again like a Sumo wrestler squaring off for another round. Lin frowned as his dark eyes glinted mischievously.

 _Unfortunately our time is almost up. Before we go I hope you'll forgive me for asking about a little rumor that's going 'round the publishing world. I hear from a very reputable source that you're writing again._

Chihiro jerked upright in her chair, loosing all her calm. Lin's eyes narrowed as Sen laughed. It was forced and false. And she had gone pale. She did not want to talk about this. Only someone who knew her would see this. Lin squirmed with frustration because she had no way of knowing why? What was she writing that troubled her so?

 _Ha-ha!_ Sen fiddled with one of her earrings. _Who told you that?_

 _I can't say._ Now the professor was outright baiting. _Is there any truth to that, Ms. Ogino? Any hope for a sequel?_

 _M'afraid I can't say either._ She answered just as archly, regaining her composure.

Lin found herself grinning as once again Sen evaded his question. She was getting as good as kami at avoiding telling truths. More than startled, Lin leapt to her feet as the box blared loudly, making all the kami jump as the screen faded into a series of loudly rushing words and nonsense about future interviews. Hastily Aniyaku scrambled up and switched off the set.

 _"Awwww!"_ Hiko and Ginka called in mournful unison.

"The story's over," He answered sharply, "That's the credits."

"What's that mean?" They demanded.

"They mean Lady Sen is gone!" He huffed back, straightening his cap.

Natsumi was looking at the dark box with a frown. "Where did she go?"

"When's she coming back on?" L.G. piped hopefully, standing to peer behind the box as if he could somehow find some hidden way through to wherever she'd been.

"S-s-she'll be b-b-back, r-r-right?" Yoshi appealed to Aniyaku.

"No," Mrs. Nikkou answered with a quiet that had nothing to do with calm, "These kinds of interviews are usually a one time thing. They might repeat it later, but it's nothing serialized."

The Gods stared at her in utter confusion as she stood with difficulty, patting Amano's hand before shuffling from the room as if pulling a great weight behind her. White with worry, Suzume watched the old woman go from where he stood at the foot of the stairs. His disquieted gold eyes flashed across the room seeking permission. What else could Lin do but nod? Silently she watched him melted after the old woman, making Amano start back against the wall as he went with all the swiftness of his race.

It was only after Suzume had gone that Kiri slipped through the doorway to the God Wing. Sidling up to Amano as if afraid of the very room, Kiri punched him in the meat part of his arm a little less than gently, earning herself a sharp frown. But Amano's scowl quickly melted as Kiri ignored his look, picking at the stitching of her apron while leaning into him as if seeking solace. Slinging his arm around her shoulder, he pulled her close, once again looking after the fox as if on the edge of following.

Aniyaku stood all too quickly, giving both humans a fright as he sniffed the air with a quizzical expression, "Do you smell something burning?"

" _S-shit!"_ Amano stood bolt upright as he looked at the chopsticks in his hands.

Hiko and Ginka gasped and slapped hands over their ears as Natsumi looked back with a glare. Kiri shrank with an apologetic bow as if on fire himself Amano sprinted for the kitchen. But the human female hesitated on the threshold to the God Wing, once again shadowed by something almost unperceivable. Whatever it was made Lin extremely nervous. It made her want to get up and chase the woman from the house. But there was nowhere else Kiri could go. She belonged here with them.

Suddenly the former temple maiden was looking at her with such a look of sympathy Lin didn't know what to think. The human brought a hand to her stomach almost unconsciously. Again, it took Lin a second to understand. From her hiding spot in the rhododendrons Kiri heard everything.

* * *

 **CHIHIRO**

"Chihiro!?" Michio called in exasperation, "Chihiro, wait!"

But Chihiro didn't wait.

Storming ahead she made her way through the back halls of the Tokyo Today's filming studio, cutting a path through the communications zoo. Well, limped was more like it. You couldn't really storm around after wearing a boot splint for nearly a month. At least the cursed thing had finally come off. In spite of the physical therapy her ankle still ached. So did the scar on her thigh; not all the time, but sometimes.

Thankfully, right now Chihiro was too pissed to feel the gnawing twinge.

Hordes of suits and skirts milled between blinding lights like antennaed insects, trying to capture better signal from their head seats as they read their lines over and over. The cacophony of their mulling voices sounded like a hive hum in the cavernous hot rooms as she shrank and darted around beetle-like film crews laden with booms and equipment as they trundled by. The place was such a maze she had no idea where she was going! As she passed through an empty back hall finally she saw the green room in the distance, caught a glimpse through the madness of the door with her name spelled out in big black kana.

It was just a door.

But to Chihiro it felt like the portal back to a saner, quieter world.

Then she saw her parents.

Her dad was standing in front of her dressing room awkwardly holding at arms length an enormous bouquet of pink roses as if afraid they might bite. Yuko was fussing with the ribbons and pale tissue wrapping the forest of flowers, glancing back and forth as if trying to find her in the crowds. Already she could see the questions humming in her mother. And all around them chattering like a flock of sandpipers was a group of barely teenaged girls. They were half hidden in the botanical garden comprised from the ridiculously large confetti colored bouquets they were carrying. Their Totoro backpacks, kodama key chains, and Ponyo t-shirts gave them away.

Oh, no…

Chihiro came up short so swiftly her heels actually skidded on the tiled floor. She wasn't prepared for this! She didn't have any cards to autograph or anything to give away. She barely had the strength to put on a good face after what happened during the interview, especially since she had to take her parents out to lunch after this. She did not want to be alone with her parents right now. Then Michio tackled her from behind, grabbing her around the middle and anchoring her in place as if afraid she was going to take off again.

Michi looked like Alice in Wonderland on the way to a medieval funeral all done up in black petticoats, stripes, spikes and bows. In a few hours The Goth had to be at work in Akihabara. She's managed to get a part time job at some famous cosplay shop Chihiro'd never heard of. The fact that the Goth was awake before noon was a miracle in itself. Chihiro was still surprised she didn't have to bribe or beg to get her come to the interview. Patiently, as if she was used to such things, Michio endured a purse search from the security guard in the station lobby. Then she had to put up with the strange looks from the cast, studio crew, and especially Yuko as Michi watched from the sidelines. Ignoring all of them, she sent a silent stream of encouragement in the form of inappropriate eye-crossing. Chihiro'd almost lost it a few times during the interview.

And it wasn't so bad this time. It wasn't her first interview and she was learning to deal with TV people. Usually she could deal with fans too, but what she couldn't do right now was her parents. Luckily Michio agreed to come to lunch even though she didn't get along with Yuko. Michi seemed like the only thing she could count on. But now all of that seemed so very far away.

More than roughly Chihiro shrugged Michio off.

Whirling around, she came face to face with the fact that her friend betrayed her.

"What the _fuck_ 's your problem!?" Michio hissed, stamping her foot.

Chihiro was so furious she could hardly speak. As if she didn't know!

Her insides filled with what felt like crackling cinders until she was brimming with seething heat. Once again seemed like she could breathe fire; the hair on the backs of her arms stood up as a shudder went surging down her spine. With a tinny pop the fluorescent light overhead burst, plunging the windowless hall into dark. More than startled, the Goth backpedaled into the wall as Chihiro advanced on her. She put up her lace gloved hands. The polish on her fingers was already chipped from chewing. At once she was paler than pale, if that was even possible for one who shunned the sun.

"You told Kataama didn't you!? You told him I was _writing_ again!"

She spat the word in a whisper as if afraid who else might hear. Genuinely afraid, Michi was looking at her askance like she was seeing someone else.

"H-he brought over some papers when you were at the doctor's. We got to talkin' an' he asked me what you were doing an' it just slipped out! I didn't mean to; honestly, I didn't!" Michio's face lined with as her darkly painted eyes looked away guiltily. "All you do all day is _write_! I didn't think it was such a big secret."

At first Chihiro was unmoved and she coldly glared at Michio. But her resentment eroded away as she realized Kaatama had used her best friend. He was as bad as Karou sometimes. Perhaps that's why she had a hard time telling him no.

Her agent was a horrible charmer when he wanted something. Kataama probably wheedled the truth from Michio the same way he convinced Professor Saito to do the interview. She could just picture the gregarious bastard spinning the situation to make it seem like a good idea. She could hear him saying things like 'they were challenging her to return to her craft' or some other 'opportunity-for-growth' bullshit that Saito would drink up like wine. Kaatama probably pulled a similar trick when it came to convincing Saito to write the series of articles about Kumomi and the Hakuyro Onsen. It was all publicity. The bottom line in Kaatama's world was money: push the product and make a profit.

They did not agree at all about the project.

 _Pro bono_ was not in Kaatama's vocabulary.

For the first time she could remember with Kaatama Chihiro stood her ground. What a terrifying day that had been. Squared off in the quiet confines of the Ginza office, surrounded by piles of _Spirited Away_ merchandise, they sat drinking tea like war generals. Chihiro had spent nearly a week researching the terms of her existing agreements, and so she more than calmly explained that she was only under contract with Kodansha for the current manifestation of her book. The new edition would be a different manifestation, new intellectual property, and they couldn't sue her for infringement or the breaking of contractual terms. She could bring the project to another publishing house, if necessary of course.

Apparently Chihiro surprised Kaatama enough to catch him off guard, or so Lydia told her after the meeting when she came by the Aoyama house to explain the paperwork. It was rare to see her personal assistant so amused. She was having trouble keeping hidden her wide congratulatory smirk. Though she worked for Kaatama's office and was an employee of Kodansha, apparently she enjoyed seeing her boss unseated. The fact that Kaatama wasted no time in pulling together the resources to make the new edition happen made it clear he wasn't about to loose her project to another house. Even if it the new edition wouldn't generate any profit, it would still boost subsidiary sales. And since publicity was worth its weight in gold he'd set up the interview on _Japan Today_. Naturally she accepted, especially after hearing Saito-san would be interviewing her.

She'd taken the bait hook-line-and-sinker.

Chihiro's insides emptied out only to fill with cold as she realized the interview was Kaatama's way of exacting restitution for the Children's Hospital Project. Through his machinations he loosed a rumor on public television that was watched by millions. It would be almost impossible for her to resist the resulting pressures. Kaatama was a businessman after all, an incomparable businessman.

He had won the second round.

Cool and composed in her perfect purple-gray suit, Lydia appeared behind Michio. Her personal assistant was beautiful, trim, poised, she spoke several languages, was taller than most men, and had a naturally pleasant demeanor that was slyly persuasive. But for all of her success, she was the exact opposite of what the Japanese found attractive in a woman: too tall, too smart, and too capable. Hence she wasn't married; even though she was well into her thirties. For all these reasons and more Chihiro loved Lydia.

Shrinking from the stranger, Michio frowned awkwardly and fidgeted as she found herself trapped. Giving them a moment to collect themselves, Lydia discretely looked at the burned out light with a subtle frown. Michio glanced at the woman with a similar expression. Chihiro did not make use of the woman's graciousness. She was not in the mood to put on a good face, nor was she happy to see Lydia

"I don't want to talk to you if he sent you!" She muttered sullenly.

"He didn't send me and I didn't know what he was planning."

Chihiro believed her on that account.

"Do you have any idea what this means?!" She hissed on the verge of tears.

"It means is the ball is in your court," Lydia returned calmly.

Her personal assistant's meaningful gaze brought Chihiro up short, loosing all of her previous peevishness. Kaatama hadn't won, at least not yet. He'd simply placed an obstacle in her path that was seemingly insurmountable. It was up to her to decide how to face the challenge. Chihiro wasn't about to sit around and do nothing.

Lydia was looking at her watch now, "I don't mean to rush us, but we need to get going if we're going to make our reservations. Have you ever been to _Le Pichet_?"

"Le-wha'?" Michio snorted dubiously.

"It's a French restaurant in Ueno Park by the Inari Temple," Lydia gave the Goth an even smile, "You'll love it, I promise."

"Um…" Chihiro glanced in the distance and found Yuko fussing over one of the waiting little girl's hair, "Will you come with us for lunch?"

The more people the better.

And if anyone could wrangle her parent is was Lydia.

* * *

 **Notes** :

(1) A rotenburo is an outdoor hot springs bath. Because there's often only one of these Onsen usually offer separate bathing times for men and women. Some just allow both sexes to co-bathe.

(2) Kiri is spiritually unclean because of her brush with death. There are four ways to become unclean spiritually: (a) childbirth/menstruation; (b) death; (c) evil deeds, a.k.a. murder, etc., and (d) the association with the outside world (i.e. the mortal world) or any thing/person in the prior states. There are lots of ways to purify ones self but hot/cold water bathing is most common.


	8. Chapter 8

**HAKU**

Haku put his back to the Bath House.

He would never see it again.

Without stopping he traversed the dry river bed.

Without pausing he passed through the streets of Tower Town.

Muffled in his cloak and mask Haku was entirely ignored by the other kami. None took notice of him as the Gods braved daylight carrying parcels and packages. Tomoe was all but invisible in the sun as he followed beside Cinna. Much to the cat's chagrin Usagi held her arm, clinging like a child. But their rag-tag group looked no different from the beings trickling a thin line through the mouth of crossing house.

Like refugees from some distant war the kami looked haggard and worn from travel. Some dallied, turning their eyes to the shops and hotels clustered in the shadow of the Clock Tower. Others shunned the shops and followed the east and west roads into distant corners of the Spirit World. Others still clustered on benches in the dim musty station's interior, waiting for the next train. With many nervous glances Haku forded the splashes of red, green, blue, and white light flooding across the cobbled floor. A lone stained glass window was still intact and like a wheeled eyes it watched as he plunged into the dark mouth of the middle tunnel.

Sharp and pungent, the smell of the mortal world breathed from the other side.

Driven by an unnerving apprehension, Haku hurried through the dark. Pitch black pressed down on him from all sides, giving the impression that the walls were constricting. The illusion sent him ill to his stomach and without realize it his brisk steps quickened. Full blown panic crammed its way inside Haku's chest, because no light showed at the end of the tunnel. Without realizing it, he broke into a sprint, leaving his companions in his wake.

 _"Oi!"_ Cinna yowled from behind him, _"OI!"_

Her voice echoed eerily in the tunnel, chasing his heels as he broke out into the dark forest on the other side. It was a moonless night, hence no light showed from above, not even the stars. But that is not what brought him to a halt so swiftly stones bit painfully beneath his bare feet. Gasping for breath with his heart pumping in his tiny chest, stupidly he stared up at the bare white boughs of the maples. In horror he dropped his eyes to the spongy piles of red and yellow quilting the roots with blankets of leaves. When he had crossed it was summer but now it was fall. The air was heavy with the smell of dozing trees and distant wood smoke fires.

Three days: he had only been gone three days.

Time passed much more slowly in Spirit World.

How could he forget!? _How could he forget!?_

Once again Haku hurtled forward into a dead run. His breath plumed white and bright in the frigid air as his wind tore through the trees, tossing eddies and whirls of russet leaves swirling around his feet. Out of the woods in a blink, up the dry bank of brittle dead grass, Haku vaulted over the back wall behind Chihiro's home and stared in dismay at the dark house.

The gust of his wind finally caught up, shaking the arms of the bald trees and shrubs in the yard, making then quake and scratch as the screens rattled in their tracks violently. Haku felt his tiny body go light as his knees folded. Utterly devoid of strength, he sat down on the cement stones, staring up at the curtains drawn across her dark window. He did not jump as sharp claws seized him from behind. He did not flinch as they pricked his soft flesh. Numbly he endured Cinna's rough shaking as she dragged him backwards, all the while hissing and spitting with anger.

"Din' aye toldja nae t'run off like tha' _y'dum-dum-dummy!"_

He sprawled at her feet, shivering as the biting cold soaked his thin skin.

" _Shite!_ " The cat hushed contritely, sinking to her heels beside him with flattened velvety ears, "Did aye hurt 'cha, kitten?"

"She is gone," Haku choked, bowing over his bruised tucked up knees.

The cat's red eyes dilated as she looked up at the dark window. As she did her lips drew into a thin line. Then Cinna flinched, closing her eyes with a grimace as Usagi called in the distance.

"Miss Okesa!?" The rabbit wailed, " _Miss Okesa,_ _wait!_ "

"Jus' wot aye need," she muttered sourly, "'Nother kitten t'keep care of."

As if he weighed nothing Cinna hauled him to his feet. Wrapping her frozen arm around his waist she held him up as what little strength he had left ebbed away. Mutely Haku watched Tomoe gathered up at the back gate pulling free of the wall's shadow. But as he reached to unbar the latch the cat called him to a stop.

"Leave it!" She barked.

With a troubled backward glance the ghost withdrew his hand just as Usagi topped the dry hill. Gasping and panting, she flew to the gate, rattling the locked handle.

"Let me in!" Usagi pleaded, casting her wild eyes all around as if the while world frightened her, "Please, Mr. Tomoe! Please let me in!"

"Go back y'stupid rabbit! Ain't no place fer yeh in this world, _s'go back!_ "

"But I belong to you!" She called back almost indignantly.

" _Y'ain't mine, y'dumb bunny!"_ Cinna hissed as her lashing tail bristled out. Haku flinched as again her claws bit his skin, "Got m'hands full wit this one, see!? You's yer own now! _So_ _git!_ "

Stunned, Usagi fell still, staring with dark eyes so wide they devoured her face, "B-but I don't have anywhere to go! I don't even have a name!"

The look in rabbit's eyes was all too familiar to Haku. He also knew the cat was trying to help but he also knew what it was to have nothing. In his life he had lost everything. It was an impossible thing to be so very lost. And he could not help speaking for the troublesome creature. This much he owed her for the help she had given.

"Let her in, Okesa."

"She's nae s'posed t'be 'ere!" The cat glanced at him with wide worried eyes. They glinted like mirrors, phantoms of light in the dark.

"And we are?" He returned quietly.

She blinked before her face darkened. Angrily the cat waved at Tomoe and the ghost unbarred the gate. The rabbit scurried inside, hurrying over to be near.

"Quit crowdin' me!" Cinna yowled irritably.

Scooting the timid rabbit out of arms-length with a foot, the cat once again shoved her hand down the front of Haku's shirt without so much as an apology. With the ring of keys in hand she towed him to the back door. With now chattering teeth Haku watched as the first key did not work, nor did the second.

" _Tch!_ These too old," The cat muttered, searching the ring, "Need ah new one."

Much to his surprise the third turned in the latch smoothly. Pulling the slider open she got them tangled in the curtains before pushing into the warm interior.

Unceremoniously she dumped him on a plastic covered settee and tossed a throw over him. Then she scouted the front room, sniffing and snuffling audibly. Thankful to be off his feet, Haku pushed his mask off his face and huddled beneath the thin blanket. While repositioning himself he found the clear cover stuck to his exposed skin. Gritting his teeth against the unnerving sensation, he had to peel his cheek from the plastic as the overstuffed cushions let out a poof of chemical stinking air.

Sitting on the floor beside him, Usagi peered up at the vaulted high ceiling, darting her dark eyes around the drab interior. Everything was either white or beige, even the carpet, as if all color had been stolen from this place. Two steps lifted the rest of the room from the sunken sitting area; half pushed back into a kitchen filled with humming sounds while the rest opened up into a set of stairs and a wide entryway. The whole house smelled strongly of the false pine scent humans seemed to think indicated cleanliness. There were fake flowers and dry reeds in the vases. Even the wood beams and doorframes smelled desiccated as the house was altogether lifeless.

"Wotcha doin', eh!?" Cinna was at the back door, "Git in 'ere!"

Haku shivered again as the curtain billowed in a frosty wind, revealing the ghost on the top step. He was outlined from behind transparent as the curtain. Only his mask remained solid, and dim light filtered through the mouth and oculars. Anyone else would have found the sight unnerving. But it did not bother Haku.

"I cannot come in unless invited, Iihito." Tomoe explained patiently.

"S-sorry! Didn' know!" She stammered, reaching out to grab a handful of his gauzy form and pulling, "Come in, neh?"

Tomoe covered her hands with his, slowly stepping up into the house. The door slid closed behind him without being touched. As the curtains billowed the cat batted at them uselessly, once again getting her claws stuck.

"Why can' these stupid human have normal sliders, eh?!" She swore beneath her breath, fighting with the fabric.

"Hold still, Iihitio." Tomoe murmured softly

With slow gentleness the ghost disentangled her claws, keeping her hands even after she was free. She did not take them back as the curtains settled around them, casting them both in shadows that eventually become one. Heat flooded into Haku's cheeks at the sight, bringing with it the sharp familiar pain in his heart. He closed his eyes on the sight, turning his back on them.

He did not realize he had fallen asleep until a cold hand gently shook his shoulder. Jolting upright, he blinked, shrinking from the cat. Cinna was peering over the back of the couch with large hopeful eyes. She looking like she might leap over and pounce on him.

"Neh, kiddo?" She hushed solemnly, "Aye know's y'tired, but aye'm _so_ _hungry_!"

It was then he noticed the transparent cast to her pricked velvet ears.

Their meals could be begged, bartered, or stolen, but they had to be cooked by mortal hands else the kami would fade from this world. But not he: he could eat the food of both world and would fade in neither. The kami were in his care now. Haku was on his feet too quickly, suddenly weak and dizzy and sitting on the edge of the couch because none of them had not eaten proper meal in some time.

"Y'okay?"

Haku blinked and recoiled as Cinna was suddenly crouched at his feet, peering up at him askance with worried red eyes.

"I am fine." He muttered sheepishly.

Haku, however, did not protest as she hoisted him up and towed him into the caustically white kitchen. There was little color here save for the pink towels and the curtains on the window over the sink. And his heart sank because this was no proper kitchen either. There was no pit of flue for a fire, only a range like the one at the Onsen. The strange grates and dials were foreign to him. At least the humming cold box and recessed sink were familiar. So was the kettle already out on the counter top. Usagi was rummaging through the various cabinets, pulling items that were most likely to be edible.

"I think these are noodles," Usagi sniffed a plastic package, nibbling it cagily.

" _Ramen!"_ Cinna rushed over, climbing across the rabbit's lap as she shoved her body into the cabinet, tossing more packages onto the floor as she continued to dig. Gathering up the cat's findings, Usagi transferred them beside the stove. And the cat's tail stood straight up as her muffled voice sounded below the counter.

"Aye love _ramen!_ " She sang happily.

Haku glanced into the sitting nook as Tomoe snorted. Standing against the far wall no longer wearing his mask, the pale ghost was smirking. His jet black eyes were full of mirth as he watched the cat. At once uncomfortable, Haku approached the counter and opened one of the top cabinets. Inside were boxes upon boxes of tea. He selected the least threatening package then took the kettle to the sink. Staring at the knobs for a moment he turned them as he had seen Chihiro do many times, jolting back as water issued from the spout. Filling the kettle he returned the grates on the range and once again found himself staring at the dials. Attempting to decipher the diagrams, he turned one experimentally only to recoil with a gasp as blue flames woofed into life.

Suddenly the kitchen was empty.

Turning he found the cat and the rabbit staring in terror from the sitting room.

As heat flooded his face Haku turned his back to them, carefully putting the kettle onto the flames as if afraid they would reach for him. Snatching back his hands he went in search of bowls. It was not long before the kettle spout screamed with steam, sending him scrambling for a means to make it silence. Burning himself and nearly dumping boiling water all over himself Haku managed to pour the contents over tea and dried noodles. Once again exhausted by his ordeal, Haku sat in a chair at the table as the cat poked the noodles in her bowl with a claw.

"Ouch!" She shook her hand, only to repeat the motion, "Ouch, ouch, ouch!"

Usagi opened several drawers before producing chopstick, "Here."

The cat snatched them up, gabbing soup and tea before joining Haku in the nook. Much to his surprise the usually greedy cat put both in front of him before returning for another pair, which Cinna put in front of an empty chair that she aimed at the ghost. Finally she came to perch in the chair beside Tomoe as Usagi joined them. Haku put his hands around his bowl, closing his eyes as the warmth seeped through into his aching joints. Ravenously hungry, Haku gulped a mouthful of the soup only to almost spit it out. Oh, it was _hot!_ It burned his tongue, leaving it numb and thick. All the same, he ate quickly, making a slurping mess of himself as he devoured the salty noodles.

They each ate several packages before sitting with sated sighs.

He glanced at the cat as she slid her tea cup close only to frown at the brew with folded ears. At once she was at the cold box. Rummaged around inside, she returned with an enormous brown bottle printed with the word _ASAHI_. Haku could smell the bitter fizz of beer as she pried the cap free with her sharp teeth and took an enormous swig. All this Usagi watched with wide eyes, still somewhat unsure of her soup.

"Want some?"

She offered the bottle but the rabbit shook her head. Haku declined as well. He did not care for beer; sake and wine, yes; but not beer. Tomoe also shook his head. Haku could not help but notice that he had not touched any of his food. In fact the ghost had already given the cat his noodles. Before he could ask Usagi piped a question that sent him utterly still.

"Whose house is this, Miss Okesa?"

Rabbit was curiously inspecting the ruffles on the pink apron hanging from a hook on the broom closet door. There was no doubt in Haku's mind that it was Yuko's apron, just as he knew the beer belonged to Akio. As the cat glanced at him with a conflicted expression Haku answered reluctantly.

"This house belongs to a family of humans known as Ogino."

"Do you, ah… know them?" Usagi seemed worried.

"Yes," It was not a lie, "I do."

"Oh, good!" She smiled, "I hope they don't mind us eating all their noodles."

"Sometimes y'gotta take, bunny baby, 'specially in _this_ world," Cinna interjected after surfacing from her enormous beer.

Haku could not help but notice Tomoe's expression go grim as the ghost looked away. And as Usagi began gathering up the dishes, obviously intent on washing them, Haku frowned at the dirt under his nails. His entire body not only ached, it felt coated in layers of filth that seemed painted on thick. Oily and lank, his increasingly long hair was sticky to the touch and plastered to his forehead. If there was a bath in this house he would find it.

"Excuse me," he announced, standing slowly.

"Where's yeh goin'?" Cinna reclined with a saucily flicking tail.

"To have a bath," Haku returned sharply, "I shall I ask your permission?"

"Tch! Jus' don' fall asleep an' come out ah prune," she waved him off and her voice echoed from the kitchen as he retreated, "Neh, Tommie; drink wit me!"

"I cannot, Iihito."

"Really!?" She was aghast, "Wot ah _shame_! Guess it's up t'us, bunny."

"M-me?!" Usagi sounded less than enthusiastic, "I-I don't like beer."

"Time t'learn!" The cat crowed exuberantly.

Unbidden a smirk found his lips. It made his eyes pull tight with a reluctant smile until Haku found himself in the cavernously empty front room. Wiggling his toes, Haku felt the rough palette of the rug beneath his bare feet while glancing at the high ceiling.

He could not imagine Chihiro living in this place.

It was so empty he found himself sad.

At once he missed Onsen terribly.

On a whim Haku followed the stairs up to the second level only to have color had return to the world. Here the house felt more lived in. He could feel the faded impressions of the daily passings of Chihiro's parents running up and down the stairs and back and forth through the hall. Akio's path was distracted and preoccupied. Yuko's was critical and finicky. But Haku was fascinated to discover that both paths paused and took on a tinge of awe at the top of the landing.

Here a picture was hung on the wall.

It was framed in blue glass.

In it a painfully young girl in pink stared at pale bright sky.

And a smudge of retreating white worked its way across the horizon.

Haku fled the image but failed to outrun the memories. Blinded by the past, he followed the smell water to a bathing room not at all what he expected. Shutting the door behind him as if he could forget the picture, he peered through the dark. Little light filtered through the frosted window and though he could see perfectly fine, Haku flicked the switch and stared at the foreign vessels.

Illuminated by a bulb humming with eerie electricity Haku found no warm cypress wood or polished black stone, only horrid pinkish plastic and cold white tile. There was a commode in a separate closet. It roared at him when flushed. The tub was in a separate room behind a frosted plastic door. Though the plastic walled inside echoed and made him nervous, it was large and so was the bath. Stripping his cloak, mask, and tattered kimono, he entered naked and set about filling the deep tub with water so hot it steamed the entire room.

While waiting Haku perched on the edge of the bath and filled a small bucket, dousing himself several times. The warm water burned deliciously against his soft skin. Without heavy scales and thick fur the sensation was as sharp as a knife, bordering on painful. As a former God whom water once served, it was a strange thing to know the element as humans did. Never had water given him such pleasure. Swirling his hand until the rippling eddies heeded his call, whirling in a swift circle that nearly sent the water up over the edge of the basin, Haku marveled as the silkiness of the element.

He had known water as no human could. But until this moment Haku had never been able to _feel_ the element.

Warm to the very core of his tiny frame, Haku picked up the soap and lathered the cloth he'd brought from a shelf outside. He paused as the smell hit him full in the face. His hands began to shake as he breathed in the aching familiar scent; because it was Chihiro's smell. Looking down at the rounded piece of white, he realized the bar had touched her skin. It had probably touched every inch of her body. Haku dropped the bar as blood rushed into his face and other… _places_.

Gritting his teeth and gripping the edge of the tub, he tried not to panic as he went a bit light headed. The throbbing ache grew, bringing the intense and overwhelming sensation he was only just beginning to understand. It hurt as much as it felt startling wonderful. Without words Chihiro had shown him the meaning of such things. But he knew not what to do with himself without her guidance. Awkward and uncomfortably inside his own traitorous skin, Haku went about scouring himself clean with single-minded purpose. Raw, red, and close to bleeding from scrubbing too hard to keep his mind off of… _things_ , Haku washed his hair three times then lowered himself into the tub.

The hot water overflowed as he immersed himself completely. Surfacing and pushing back the tangled mess of his bangs, Haku breathed in the steamy plume clouding the thick air. Lying back against the wall, he let the heat soaked him through, easing every knotted bunched muscle. The only thing it could not ease was his mind.

Again he was thinking of her.

Haku remembered the way her bare skin stood up in scores of tiny points when she shivered. Running his fingers up and down his arm now understood what that felt like. His hand swept across his chest as he understood why she moaned when he ran his hands over the taut swells of her breasts. How he missed the warmth of her skin. He could never forget the feeling of her beneath him; how she surrounded him and held him. There was no other warmth in the world that compared her. How he ached for and the smell of her hair and skin; the ghost left on his body by the soap was a lie. There was no sweetness or softness that could dare come close to what touching her felt like.

Again his unfamiliar body betrayed him and Haku fought to control the strength of the needing that burned inside him hotter even than the near boiling water. Ducking beneath the water, Haku tried to loose himself in the murmuring churning sounds only to fail. Only now that he was mortal, only now that he suffered did he understand the impossible distance that once separated them. These emotions were things that could not be felt through scales and fur. These were things that could not be touched or tasted with claw and fang. These were things that could only be understood through flesh and feeling. Gods could love but their ways were different than humans; to mate transcended physicality; it transcended feeling. Though he had never partaken in such a union, Haku knew it was not the same as what he had shared with Chihiro.

In a way he knew not how to explain, to him it seemed that mortal love was stronger. Perhaps it was the bones and blood of his new form that led him to think thus. But to share with another such feeling was an ecstasy unknown to kami. To feel, let alone to feel so much, it was no wonder humans lived such short lives. Nothing could withstand the power emotions so great. That he felt and somehow managed to live was such an agonizing wonder, because he felt as if he might die from loving her as he did.

Surfacing, gasping air too thick with steam, Haku stood. Wringing the water from his hair he stepped out of the tub and into the much chillier adjoining room. Through the steam he caught sight of movement. Startled into a wind by the figure facing him, it took Haku a moment to recognize himself. Uncertainly wiping the condensation from the mirror, he stared at the strange face: _his_ face.

It was odd how he still thought of himself as a boy. Wiping away more condensation Haku discovered the face and body of a man, not a boy. Long in arm and leg, narrow in waist and board at shoulder, his body was still white, paler than any human he had ever seen. His eyes were still eerily green, reflective and somewhat opalescent as had been his scales. And there was still a faint blue green cast in his hair. The unnatural color was more pronounced when wet. Pulling his irritatingly long mane into a ponytail, Haku found a stretchy tie on the countertop and bound it tightly. Unfortunately it did nothing to remedy the length of his bangs.

Blowing at them uselessly, Haku brushed them this way and that, leaning closer to the glass. Studying himself, Haku considered that perhaps his chin was overly pointy. He pinched it with a frown only to be distracted by his eyebrows. These were strange things. He wiggled and furrowed them until his forehead hurt. And then there was his mouth. Chihiro liked his mouth as much as he enjoyed hers. She always seemed to be touching his lips. Putting a finger to his lips he circled the rough broken bow. They were tender and when he licked them tasted blood. Then he noticed the dark circles under his eyes. They gave his face a hungry, haunted look. Haku found that unnerving; because it was a sharp reminder this body was real, it was no illusion. It could easily be broken.

Here were the scars on his belly and chest from the claws of the Forgotten. Here was the palest remainder of the bruise over his heart where a mortal bullet had almost ended his life. Reluctantly he ran his hands around the sinew of his neck, shuddering as he remembered the bite of the cold iron collar. Looking at his hands he found them cut and scraped, as were the bottoms of his feet and the points of his wretchedly weak knees. Onto these he always seemed to be fallen. It was a wonder they had not yet shattered.

But he had not yet shattered.

He had survived and would continue to do so.

Perhaps he was no so brittle as he first thought himself?

That was a fortifying thought. Far calmer and more centered, Haku drew on his cloak and willed it into a familiar garment. Dressed in his blue belted white suikan and cropped hakema pants, Haku tucked his mask into the front fold of the garment and exited into the hall only to come up short as he came across the ghost of another path. Though it was light in step it was full of heavy troubled thoughts. With a frown he followed the way up a short set of stairs to an unfamiliar door. But he already knew what lay behind it. He had been in this room many times before.

Pushing it open Haku stood on the threshold of Chihiro's room.

Pink flooded out at him, momentarily holding him at bay. But he entered, staring at her empty narrow bed. Completely aside from the unbearable hue, it was no wonder she cared not to stay in this place. This was a child's room, not a woman's. It felt cramped and overburden by impressions of the thoughts Chihiro had left behind. Coming to sit on her bed, laying his head on her pillow, Haku listened to the lingering whispers of her presence. Most clearly he heard her frustration over being treated so aloofly by her father while her mother reduced her again to a little girl. Then he listened to her buzzing excitement over her decision to leave. But beneath both Haku was dismayed to uncover the persistent heavy dread that hummed like a pulse through the entire room. She was afraid. So very afraid and confused that a cold ache started up in the very marrow of his bones. Haku knew why even if she did not.

Turning his face into the pillow, Haku once again breathed in her smell.

Tightening his fingers on coverlet he closed his eyes but could not sleep.

With a ragged sigh he sat up and once again looked round the room. He frowned at the button eyes stuffed animals lining the wall, shrinking from their persistent stare until he was on his feet. Browsing her book shelves he found tale after tale of adventure, magic, and travel. The rest of her room what was not window was taken over by the drawings plastered on the wall behind her tiny desk. They were filled with such familiar faces that Haku was forced to look away. Here was bristling bearded Kamaji with a score of soot spirits. Here was cranky Yubaba, sharp eyes Yu-bird, clumsy teetering Kashira, and fat laughing Baby. Here was straight-backed Lin with her scrub broom and scores of smiling Yuna and frogs. Above them all, rendered in rough strokes of red and green on the larges piece of paper, was a picture of the Bath House in all its former glory.

All were yellowed and brittle with age.

Here Haku also found himself; or at least a memory of what he had been in Chihiro's eyes. She drew him far more frequently and with much greater detail than any of the others. Through her drawings Chihiro showed him the truth of what he had been: lonely, aloof, haughty and so very lost. Misery sank him to a seat on the tiny pink cushioned chair as Haku wondered if she would ever see him with such clarity ever again. Folding forward, he dropped his head onto his elbows, jostling the desk; looking up as something bumped into his fingers.

He blinked at the paint brush then looked beyond to the picture of Lin.

It was strange to see her as she once was: unburned and with two arms. Was it his imagination or did she glare at him from the image as if chiding? How long had it been since he had left her without a word? Haku had no hope of guessing. Driven by guilt he reached into the fold at the front of his kimono and withdrew the plastic sealed packet of yellowed parchment Onsen had given him. Taking up the brush he searched for an ink stone and was forced to settle for a metal tin of dried cake pigment. Summoning moisture from the water soaked in his hair Haku mixed black and withdrew a sheet of paper, then another, and another still. So intent was he on his work he did not realize dawn was warming the window. Nor did he see the cat until she spoke.

"Wotcha doin'?"

Jolting back from the desk and whirling round he found Cinna lounging on Chihiro's bed. Judging from the pink in her cheeks and the level in the beer bottle she had cradled in her arms like a baby the cat was drunk. Seated beside her as if embarrassed by her state, Tomoe avoided his gaze.

"I… I am writing to Lin," Haku answered truthfully.

As the cat's gaze lifted to his head a wide grin revealed her sharp yellow teeth.

"Nice hair."

Haku hastily yanked the tie from his hair as heat flooded his face. He had forgotten it was there and no doubt it looked ridiculous. The cat's red eyes glinted curiously as they darted round the room.

"Got an idea where she went?" Cinna cut straight to the point while taking another long draft on what he could only guess was her forth or even perhaps _fifth_ beer.

"Tokyo."

Haku blinked rapidly as the cat choked, sitting up and struggling to swallow as Tomoe slapped her back. Irritably she waved him off only to wipe her mouth, staring at him askance with red eyes so wide and round he did not know what to think.

"Neh, kitten?" She began carefully, "Y'ever heard o' _Tokyo_?"

Swallowing pride as his cheeks grew hotter, Haku answered truthfully.

"No."

She drew in another breath, "Kay… Heard ah' Edo?"

Haku snorted, "The tiny fishing village on the Sumida River?"

Abruptly his confidence faded as Cinna's face drew into dark lines. Her blood red eyes dilated until they were all irises. She leaned forward earnestly, murmuring with such seriousness Haku felt a chill of apprehension go skittering up his spine.

"Maybe three hundred years ago, kitten. Now t'human's call it Tokyo; an' it's t'baddest city in all ah Nippon. There's ah reason why aye left."

In that moment he was afforded another brief glimpse into the cat's past. Apparently she had lived in Tokyo? All the same, Haku's reply was instinctual as much as it was automatic.

"Chihiro is there so I must follow."

Cinna let out a long suffering sigh, wilting against Tomoe knees.

"Had ah feelin' yeh'd say tha'."

She chewed on her shoulder instead of scratching then she took another pull off her bottle. When she glanced back a stranger looked out of her eyes. She seemed to change, become something entirely different from the greedy flighty creature he had first met at the Onsen. These were the eyes of someone who had done terrible things.

"If yeh gotta go there yeh gotta be willin' t'do wot's gotta be done."

Cinna put her bottle down, staring through him now with her cold bloody gaze.

"There ain't no such thing as pride 'mong kami in Tokyo. No such thing as right 'r' wrong. There's jus' _survivin'_ and folk's happy t'do so a' _anyone's_ expense. S'no such thing as _mercy_ in Tokyo. Folks there's in no mood t'hear 'bout t' _righteous_ path from some green-wick backwater dummy who think's 'e knows best. _Evil_ lives in Tokyo: God eat God; human eat human; an' not 'cause they's hungry, got it?!"

Kami could not lie. Cinna was not trying to scare him. She was simply telling the truth. And Haku swallowed slowly, somehow managing to meet the cat's severe gaze. He glanced at Tomoe and found the ghost transparent silent. But it was apparent form his troubled expression that he did not care for the situation.

"You scared?" Cinna asked abruptly.

"Yes."

To lie would have done no good.

What had possessed Chihiro to go to such a place?!

" _Tch_ … If yeh wuzn't aye'da been sure you's an idiot." She picked up her bottle, swirling the beer and making it fizzle and foam, "So how's we getting' there?"

"I do not know where Tokyo is."

Again he reluctantly admitted his ignorance. Exasperated by his short comings, Haku wondered if it was possible to be anymore ashamed? Could his face grow anymore hot Haku was quite sure the walls would begin to char and he had no wish to mar Chihiro's drawings.

"Check yer pockets," Cinna patted her chest.

Haku stared stupidly, "W-what?"

" _Tch!"_ Cinna's tail bristled out as she threw a hand back toward Izu, "Onsen knows _ah lot_ more 'an she lets on, got it?! She knew yeh wuz gonna leave. She probably knew yeh wuz gonna git caught by tha' Tanuki. She probably even knew yeh wuz gonna git t'Tokyo so she gave yeh all tha' stuff fer ah reason, neh!? So check yer pockets!"

Chastised beyond words Haku complied, reaching into the fold of his kimono and withdrawing a bath token. Staring at the tile he realized it was not the one that led back to the Onsen. This token was once hidden inside the sketchbook belonging to the sickly human girl that visited the Onsen. Both Chihiro and the house had formed an uncommon attachment to the child in a very short amount of time. Now that he was holding the tile in his hand intuition hummed inside Haku's bones in the same manner his blood sang moments before the wind changed.

"Wotcha got? Neh-neh? Wotcha got?" Cinna waved a hand, craning her neck.

"A way," Haku replied simply as he held up the token.

"You should test it, Nigihayami-sama," Tomoe interjected from where he remained seated behind the cat. His endless black eyes were no less troubled, "It would be prudent to learn where it goes before we cross… But I counsel against allowing the rabbit to accompany us."

"Shite… E's right. Wot we gonna do with bunny, neh?"

"We shall send her back as our messenger." Haku answered quickly.

"Eh!?" The cat's ears were pricked as was her tail.

"I have another way to the Onsen," He put his hand on his kimono fold, "To send word of our plans is a small kindness we can afford those left behind. Lin will welcome Usagi. Where better than among the nameless for her to find home?"

With that he shut the door to Chihiro's room, putting the tile in the middle of the planks, feeling the familiar bite of magic go charging up his arm. A way unfolded from the token; it sprang open and snapping into place inside the jam. At once the cat crowded at his right elbow as Tomoe stood in her shadow. As she nodded Haku pulled open the doorway.

Dim light filtered in from the other side.

With it came faint mechanical beeps and the unmistakable reek of pain.

As Haku pushed the door open further he recognized the signs of hospital room though he had never before seen this place. It stank of sickly sweet disinfectants and there was a single bed around which a white curtain was half drawn. The windows beyond were blinded in white as well and stripes of dawn were beginning to lighten the dark showing through the slats. White! White! White! Why did these human so abhor the comforts of color? Haku would go mad if he were deprived of blue sky, brown-red earth, green leaves and the other palates afforded by the turning seasons.

They all fell still as a shadow moved behind the curtain.

A tiny hand grasped the fabric, pulling it back with difficulty. On the slightly inclined bed beneath a pale pink blanket was a human girl so pale she could have been carved from snow. Behind her and all around the inside of the curtain were such amazingly colorful drawings Haku found himself momentarily distracted from the shaved half of the child's head. A terrifying scar bisecting the length of her left skull and the wound was held together with was looked like a score of tiny metal brackets. Just looking at it made Haku shudder at the thought of the pain it must cause.

Not at all surprised by their appearance, the girl flashed a bright smile.

In that moment Haku knew her.

" _Finally!_ " Satako sighed as if now she could finally relax, "I've been waiting for you for such a long time!"


	9. Chapter 9

**HAKU**

"I'm _so_ glad you finally came!" Satako sighed, "I wasn't going to be able to see you anymore because they took the mass out."

Still standing in the doorway Haku stared at the human child.

Not a word that came from her mouth made sense.

Pressing a button on the railing, Satako continued to beam as the back to the bed lifted her up with a slow mechanical whir. She laughed with weak exuberance and her dark eyes studied them intently as if she could not look enough.

"But I can see you! I can still see you!"

Although again and again her gaze circled back to fix on him with such unnerving acuity that Haku could not help but take a step back, which was difficult because Cinna was crouched in his shadow. With bristled tail, pricked and swiveling ears, every hair on the cat's body as standing up. She cat was peering around the back of his knees, looking askance at the child with dilated red eyes.

"You're Haku, aren't you?" She pronounced his name with awe.

The fact that she knew him stunned Haku to silence. As he gaped inelegantly the girl giggled, clicking on a light and reaching for something on the tray beside her only to make a disappointed moue as she found it missing.

"Rats… Mom took my pencils again." Satako heaved a persevering sigh, "She keeps doin' that."

"H-how do you know me?" Haku stammered once he remembered his voice, because he was quite sure they had never before met. And he went perfectly still as Satako frowned, peering at him critically.

"You look a lot like the way Miyazaki drew you just older and maybe a little less, um… _girly_. I dunno why he makes all his guys so girly. Howl was pretty girly too and so was the Navel Wizard from Ponyo… I can't remember his name…"

Haku frowned indignantly, " _Girly_!?"

The cat snickered, stepping around him into the room before he could purposefully step on her tail. Already she was snooping about.

"You're Cinna," Satako struggled to look over the railing, "Onsen told me all about you. Maybe someday I can see you dance?"

Again she laughed as the cat went bolt still, nervously glancing from the corner of her eyes as she crept backwards behind the curtain, craning her neck to see around the beeping equipment taped and tacked to the little girl's arm and chest.

"Um…?" Here Satako looked back at Tomoe. Her brow furrowed, "You look really familiar but I don't think I've ever met you. I really hope I didn't forget you. I forget all kinds of important things because of this."

She lifted her hand to motion at the scar.

"You… You see me?" Tomoe was shocked because he was barely visible.

"Of course I can see you," she laughed happily, "And I'm so glad I can!"

At a loss for what else to go, Haku reached inside his robes and withdrew the sketchbook. He shivered upon crossing the threshold. The smell of pain intensified as he approached the child's bed.

"This belongs to you."

"Where's you get that!?" Her face lit up as she took the book from his hands, "I let Chihiro borrow it. Look, I drew her right before I went, see?"

She flipped through the pages to the picture of Chihiro wearing the phoenix mask, turning it to the side so Cinna could see as she curiously surfaced on the opposite side of the human child's bed. Haku glanced with an obliging nod as she turned the image on him. It was a shock and he did not look long. Looking brought a painful lump to the top of his throat. Hastily he turned away, blinking rapidly as he struggled to hold back the tears. He failed and was forced to hastily wipe them on his sleeves.

"I'm sorry." Haku glanced back only to find Satako was staring at him with such an openly apologetic expression, "I didn't mean to make you sad."

Hastily he was forced to find the chair beside her bed before the weight of sorrow pressing on his shoulder sent him to a seat on the floor.

"There is no need to apologize," he answered quietly.

"Cun aye see?" Cinna asked hopefully, reaching for the book.

Satako gave it to the cat with an eager nod, watching with rapt attention as the kami retreated back to Tomoe. She and the ghost flipped through the pages together with eye-widened awe. All too quickly the human girl's eyes returned to him and Haku could not meet her gaze. She was the same age as Chihiro had been when she wandered between the worlds and back into his life. It was no wonder Onsen had formed such an attachment to the girl. She looked in the same way as Chihiro: deeply. Already Haku found himself under the spell of her sincerity. It exerted a pull he could not ignore.

"It wasn't an earthquake," Satako found the truth in his face as if he could be read, "Hide didn't really die, did he?"

Haku could only nod, swallowing with difficulty. He did not like to hear _that_ name! The male's sacrifice was a weight that hung around his neck like a mountain. Haku could never repay what the male had given him. Once again he stared at the white tiled floor bracing his elbows on weak human knees feeling like he might pitch forward. And again he missed his tail and the balance it offered. Without it and the strength of his long lost four legs it was no wonder he did not fell more often than he already did.

"What happened?"

Until this moment Satako had given the impression of boundless strength. Indeed, she seemed to glow with a vitality that was at odds with her obvious ill health. Haku stared at her from the corners of his eyes, for it was as if someone had poured into her a well of endless life. But she dampened in this moment genuinely afraid. He glanced away as it was his turn to explain.

"Chihiro has been cursed with sleep. She remembers nothing of us."

"Oh… Kinda like sleeping beauty, huh?" Satako's eyes were startlingly familiar as they lifted, pinning him in place, "You can wake her up, right?"

Haku nodded, hoping that was not a lie.

"But first I must find her."

"Oh, that's easy," Again she was beaming, "I can tell you right where she is."

Blinking rapidly, he was so utterly stunned by the child's pronouncement Haku once again forgot how to speak. Much to his relief she launched into an unprompted explanation that seemed to stretch on into forever.

"Chihiro's working on a new version of her book. It's a special illustrated edition. She wants us kids to draw the illustrations," Satako pointed at the drawings plastered on the inside of he curtain. Only now did he see and recognize the images from her story, "I saw her yesterday when dad brought her through our wing on a tour. She didn't recognize me at all. I was really worried because I read on the net about the earthquake and how Hidé died. I cried so hard when I found out that mom called the doctors and they made me sleep a bunch. So I wasn't all that surprised when Chihiro didn't recognize me because the tabloids mom reads won't stop talking about her amnesia. But I didn't know she forgot you too."

Sorting through all the rushing words, Haku held fast to one thing.

"Satako, you know where Chihiro is?"

"You can call me Saka-chan, everyone else does even though I don't like it." She reached up to scratch the shaved side of her head only to stop and put down her hand, "I don't have the exact address but she lives in Aoyama, which is pretty much right next door. I bet we could get it from my Dad. He's helping coordinate the project."

Haku was on his feet, startling the child. "What did you say?!"

"That my dad probably has her address," she was gaping up at him, "Wow, you're really tall."

"No," He hushed, "You said that Chihiro is next door…"

"Kinda," Satako grinned, "The Ginza Ward is right next to the Aoyama Ward."

Haku stared blankly. "Ginza?"

"You know…" She circled her hands, "In Tokyo?"

At once he was at the windows forcing the blinds open. Stumbling back, Haku almost fell. He was forced to cling to the end of Satako's bed as the wind of his disquiet blew through the room, making the curtains waft and clink on their runner. And the rail beneath his hands creaked and shuddered as he squeezed within inches of crushing it; because what he saw beyond the glass was pure madness.

" _Whoa!"_ The human laughed, managing to sit up and clap her hands as her face lit up with delight, "You're _crazy_ fast! You even made it windy! That's _so_ cool!"

Haku jumped as Cinna appeared at his elbow handing the sketchbook back to the Satako. The cat pressed her cold body against his side and the contact was comforting. It helped still the panic chasing through the room in gentle eddying gusts.

"I did not believe you until just now," Haku choked hoarsely, "I did not know such a world was possible."

He clenched his eyes, trying to blot from his memory the blinding miles of harsh gray metal and concrete that covered every inch of green and brown earth until the towering monstrous structures blocked out the sky and swallow the sea. As dawn touched the cold synthetic world outside he found it held no color, only rushing cars, roaring trains, and whining plans that glared into the dark with the caustic light of their glowing electric eyes. At once his heart was thundering inside his tiny chest so swiftly he went light headed with dread.

"Um… Y-you okay?"

He opened his eyes only to find the human girl regarding him with such worry he could not help but reach to reassure her, touching one of her feet. It was ever so tiny beneath his hand. And how this precious little flower had come to bloom in such a terrible place he would never know.

"I am fine," he lied for her sake, "I… I have never before seen Tokyo."

"It's a little overwhelming, huh? You get used to it," Casting her eyes to Tomoe, she beckoned to the ghost, "Its okay, you can come in. On your way could you bring me that can of pencils? I'd really like to draw you if that's okay?"

"As you wish, Satako…"

Haku once again found the seat beside her bed and not so she could sketch.

Suddenly he could no longer stand.

For it was not fine. Nothing was going to be fine ever again.

* * *

 **LIN**

Lin opened her eyes not long after closing them.

It was raining again and the gentle precipitation drummed on the side of the wall with a persistence that was soothingly familiar in the dark. Exhausted from the days work and Lin could barely move. But as if dreaming her mind turned forward through the tides of time. Because in another month the rain would become snow; their children would be born into a world covered by white.

Though he hadn't made a sound she knew he was there.

In a smooth motion Suzume slid beneath the covers beside her. She opened her arms and he pillowed his head on her bicep, at once burrowing into her chest. Lin breathed in the spicy camphor smell permeating his hair, the same delicious smell rose from Suzume's silky bare skin. Tucking his head under her chin, she wrapped her only arm around his shoulders with a contented sigh as he placed his hands on her growing stomach as he always did. But the peace of being in bed with her mate proved short lived; because the fox did not sleep. She could feel his thoughts rattling as Suzume wandered his mind like a blind man trapped in a furniture store. In spite of his even breathing his body was rigid with whatever worries kept him from rest.

"You think hard for so late an hour." She nuzzled the crown of his head.

"I was in town," Suzume murmured, turning his cheek against the bare skin exposed at the front of her robe, "There was an article about her."

By _her_ he meant Sen. He never used Sen's name. It was something else that baffled Lin.

"She is healthy. Her project goes well," he continued clinically, "The children draw beautiful pictures. They printed one in color and it was good. They draw the Gods as if they have truly seen them. I shall ask Amano to find the paper so I may show you."

As he spoke his handsome soaked with sorrow. The distance weighted on him just as did not knowing weighed on her. Quickly Suzume changed the subject, trying to outrun the catch in his voice.

"I also spoke at length with Keiichi."

There was no use trying to divine any outcome involving the priest.

"And?"

"Slowly he reconsiders himself," Suzume produced a gusty sigh that left him heavier against her arm, "I am confident Keiichi will soon allow Ikiri home."

"He had better," Lin grumbled, "Kiri's pretty much put everything on hold until that idiot comes around. I have it in my minds to pay the priest a visit."

"He does not respond to female pressure, beloved."

"Oh, he doesn't, does he?" Lin squirmed irritably, "Between me and Nani I think we can help him make up his mind."

"That would not be prudent," Here the fox grew quiet, "The twins have been at odds since birth. Though Keiichi loves his sister, he also envies Ikiri the freedom she has taken for herself. In many ways he wishes to be more like her, but principle prevents him from doing so."

"He has no right to punish his sister for being who she is." Lin gritted between her teeth. "I have no sympathy for him."

"Neither is blameless," Suzume interjected, struggling to keep his words even, "I do not advocate for either as both have committed grave and selfish transgressions."

Lin very much wanted to argue. Unfortunately he was right and that made her even more disagreeable. But the fox caught her off guard with his next words, making her fall silent.

"May I divulge a secret that will perhaps temper your judgment of the priest?"

She frowned, mastering her irritation as curiosity got the better of her, "Fine."

"Keiichi has loved Naniko since they were children."

Lin jerked back so she could look Suzume in the face.

"W-what?!"

Regarding her for a moment with solemn gold eyes the fox rolled onto his back. Suzume's reflective eyes gazed through the ceiling; as if piercing the rain, they seemed to see through the clouds all the way up to the stars.

"Naniko was maiden at the village temple alongside Ikiri. She and Keiichi were together almost every day of their lives. The temple appointment is hereditary so priests must marry in order to produce heirs. Keiichi hoped to marry Naniko. He applied himself to his studies ardently that he might obtain priesthood sooner so his offer would be more agreeable to Naniko's parents. Unfortunately he never shared his feelings with Naniko. Unaware of his feelings, while he was at work she chose another."

"Loss has stripped Keiichi of belief. Bitterness causes him to turn a blind eye on the worlds just as it is bitterness that causes him to turn Ikiri away. Strange that he fears to loose his sister as he lost Naniko; and yet he is the one whom has abandoned Ikiri. I hear him, Hayashimi, but I do not understand him. This makes it difficult for me to help him. And so I must ask you to be patient, beloved. I strive similarly."

Stunned, Lin could only stare as again Suzume sighed heavily. Rolling onto her back beside him, she looked overhead, trying to see stars and only succeeding in seeing ceiling.

"What a mess," she muttered, finding herself at a loss.

"Indeed," Suzume laced roughly scarred fingers through hers, "How is Ikiri?"

Lin went perfectly still. It was the first time she could ever recall the fox asking about the former temple maiden. She could give a simple answer but it would not have been the whole truth. The shadow remained inside Kiri. Lin did not understand why she could see it and not the others, for no one else mentioned it. Regardless of how many times she'd sent the human to the camphor baths it did not darken nor did it fade.

"What is it?" Suzume had turned on his side, regarding her with a furrowed brow.

Shit! Turning away Lin put her hand to her mouth and chewed her thumbnail. She'd already betrayed herself with silence.

"Tell me what is wrong, Hayashimi."

Sitting up over her Suzume gently turned her face with his hands, pinning her in place with his gold gaze. It was hard to think about anything when he was bent over her bare chested and beautiful as he was. But she could not lie as Suzume took her hand from her mouth. He was trying to be patient but he was also growing more and more apprehensive until she panicked and blurted an entirely different truth.

"I'm afraid of what you'll do," She admitted nervously, "You're… _difficult_ to reason with when angry."

Suzume blinked, sitting back as if stunned. Through the gloom Lin clearly saw the storm clouds turn his gold eyes dark with melancholy. Turning away he hid his deeply furrow face in a fall of ebony hair.

"This I know," here he hesitated, "But, I… I knew not that it troubled you so, nor did I know it gave you cause to fear."

Regret seared her insides; because it was more than clear that her hasty words had hurt him deeply. Sitting up with difficulty because her belly was getting quite big these days, she pulled Suzume toward her. The fox resisted, but she succeeded in wrapping her arm around his waist until her cheek was resting between his bunched shoulders. He remained tense even as she buried her face in his silky hair.

"M'not afraid of you," Lin leaned on him heavily.

"And the others?" He pressed in a troubled hush.

"I… I can't lie to you, Suzume: fire warms but it also burns," Lin returned as gently as she could, "The others are getting used to you, but Amano and Kiri are pretty much terrified of you."

She could feel him coiling tighter and tighter beneath her hands. Oh, she was making an absolute _mess_ out of this one!

"I…" His voice broke, "I do not know how to be anything other than what I am, Hiyashimi…"

"I know. Anger comes quick because it is easy. I'm just as guilty of this. But for you and those we keep I am trying to learn otherwise. There are fragile things under this roof, Suzume. It's hard, but we must learn to tend them gently as much for them as for ourselves, especially if there are to be children in this house."

"You are right," He shook himself, sounding more center, "I will try, beloved."

"Don't try, Suzume. I need you to start now because I have to tell you something. Listen and be calm," Lin took a deep breath, "There is a shadow inside Kiri."

He jerked violently, but this she had been expecting. Once again she proved herself stronger as she yanked him backwards and pinned him onto the futon.

" _I have failed!"_ He choked.

Again with the failure!?

That song was getting so old it no longer held tune!

It pissed her off to no end!

At once furious, Lin forgot her own advice.

"What will it take to get you to forgive yourself, you stupid, _stupid_ fox?!" Lin threw at him in frustration, "You did all you could and that is _better_ than enough! O-Inari-sama sees this, I know she does!"

"You know _nothing_ , Hiyashimi!" He bit back furiously, "You know _nothing_ of the burdens of guilt I carry!"

Lin was taken aback by the fear and fury burning in his eyes. The fire had always been there since the moment she first met him. How the avatar of O-Inari-sama, Goddess of healing and abundance, could harbor such blind wrath was beyond Lin. It was an incongruity she couldn't ignore anymore.

"Then explain to me, Suzume!" Once again she threw him back against the floor as the fox fought to free himself, "Because I don't understand you!"

"I am a _God!_ " He snarled back furiously, "Yet I do not see, just as I do not hear! What good am I?! What good am I if in all my meagerness those I am bound to serve are stolen away or killed!? _"_

Utterly stricken the fox slumped against the floor, staring through her. But now he gripped her wrist to the point of pain, clinging now instead of struggling, pulling her down to him as if afraid she might run.

"Why does my Goddess no longer hear me?" He hushed in a small terrified voice, searching her face as if desperate to find an answer, "Am I so _wicked_ that she has forsaken me and those I love?"

Stunned, Lin could only stare as the room darkened beneath the weight of his sorrow. Thunder boomed overhead as the rain intensified, hammering on the side of the house as flashes of light cut the gloom like knives. She flinched as things moved in the gloom, suddenly finding herself perched on the edge of panic. Because if this continued the fox was going to loose himself to the suffering he was letting run rampant inside himself. It would devour him whole and make him forget himself, turning him into something else entirely, something _unspeakable_.

Lin wouldn't let it have him. He belonged to her and no one else.

Running her hand beneath his neck Lin hauled the God up into a kiss. Rough, fierce; his lips burned against hers with a heat that could have set fire to anything else. But a stone could easily sit in the midst of flame. She might char a bit around the edges, but she could not burn. Suzume's hands surged into her hair, pulling so hard it brought tears to her eyes. But there was passion in him now, a hot kind of fervor that transformed his vehemence into something else entirely.

Shocked sent her sprawling as her back hit the futon; because he was on top of her, pinning her down. Lin gasped as Suzume buried his face in her neck, mouthing the exposed skin. Sensuously the fox growled low in his throat as his hands roved inside her kimono, kneading and squeezing before slowly dragging sharp claws down her sides. Then he bit her neck. Her second gasp transformed to a moan, sending her arching up against him as his burning mouth moved, find her breast. Lin cried out as he bit her again, hard enough to send firecrackers of deliciously pleasurable pain exploding behind her eyes.

She gasped again as he ripped her robe open only to grind against her naked body with raw animalistic intensity. In the times before Suzume has never been like this. Usually reticent and prim in their lovemaking, this was a side of her mate she'd never before seen. Oh, and how she _wanted him_! Suzume was perhaps worried about injuring her and the kits so it had been a long time since they had mated. _Too long!_ Not since the time she'd left him to answer the telephone. And no such taboo need be observed.

Lust surged through Lin's veins; touching a primal chord deep in her instincts that had not been touched in centuries. He yipped as she sank her teeth into the meat of his bicep, making her chuckle huskily. Growling and humming as they rolled and grappled with each other, leaving the futon behind until he once again had her pinned. Lin planted her feet firmly on the floor and pushed with her long legs until the boards creaked, throwing herself up against him.

Thunder boomed, charging the air as the foxfires appeared.

They pulsed red and ruddy as static hummed in every inch of her skin.

And she went absolutely rigid with pleasure as his burning hands delved deeply between them. Suzume claimed her mouth, catching her shout of pleasure as his. And she let him have all that she was; because she belonged to him just as he belonged to her. As his hands gripped her flanks so firmly his nails bit through her skin he sank deep inside her. In that moment they were one: mind and soul. There was no hiding in the blinding light of union. There was no such thing as loneliness or suffering.

There was only love.

Panting and exhausted, Lin returned to physicality only to find herself boneless with satisfaction. It was dark as the foxfires had extinguished. And her foot was propped on the edge of the table, which she had shoved against the wall so firmly she'd snapped off the corner. Lin hummed happily, massaging her hand across Suzume's bare shoulders. The fox was collapsed on top of her. His naked skin was slick and smooth against her belly. And she could feel the quick tempo of his heart through her ribs. Their long hair was a tangled mess, pinned between the both of them as if they'd tried to cocoon each other only to fail.

"I am sorry!" Suzume gasped as he stirred but had no more luck moving than she, "I… I do not know what came over me!"

Remorselessly Lin thumped him on the back of his head.

" _Ow!"_

Suzume's head jerked up as his gold eyes flashed angrily. But the look faded to surprise as lithely Lin rolled him onto his back, following, tossing back her hair as she was at once straddling him.

"Don't apologize," she commanded smolderingly, sinking low over him as she drew her fingers across his open mouth, "And don't you dare hold back anymore. I want you, do you hear me fox? I want _all_ of you!"

Then he was staring at her, looking up at her with that expression of boundless affection that made the stone within her turn weak. For a moment the storm inside him passed. Determined to try and send it away forever she lowered herself father still, ready to take his lips for hers once more.

Then one of the kits kicked.

Suzume went stock still as his gold eye flew wide. At once his blackened hands were on her rounded belly as she sat back, trying to make room for them as they struggled inside her bent body.

" _Oooff!"_ Lin laughed moving his palm to the other side as the second began kicking, "I think they are angry with us for waking them."

Suzume's elation lit up the entire room as one of the younglings kicked right where his hand was pressed. He laughed exuberantly.

"Do you feel that?" The fox hushed in awe.

Lin snorted, pulling on his arm as she stood, pushing him towards the shambles of the futon, "I do… And like the kits I also want to sleep."

Climbing beneath the covers, Suzume held his arms open for her this time. After long moments of holding her close the kits ceased to kick. Breathing in his spicy musk, Lin tried not to think about how she would wake to find him gone. Closing her eyes, she tried to forget that there was such a thing as morning. Instead she listened to the sound of his heart as he stroked her hair, lulling her closer and closer to the edge of sleep until she drifted over the edge into dreams of snow.

Lin jerked awake as the floor beneath the futon shuddered and quaked. Onsen had flooded the tiny room with such cries of alarm that the entire God Wing shook beneath the power of her disquiet. At once the house flooded her groggy head with the reason for her alarm.

Something had crossed!

There was a stranger was in Sen's room!

Unfortunately Onsen told Suzume the exact same thing.

Foxfires erupted to life, filling her room with furiously burning light.

" _Suzume, no!"_ Lin shouted, struggling to hold him.

But he ripped away, throwing himself from the bed.

Her door shattered as the slider ripped from its ruts.

And there was no time to hide, no time to change.

Lin was out into the common room shouting orders at the bath house kami as the Yuna spilled from Natsumi's room and the frogs came thundering up the stairs. In the fraction of a second she saw their blank looks of surprise as they took in her pronounced belly. It showed quite clearly from beneath the loose obi holding her sleeping kimono closed. But there was no time to explain.

"Stay here!" She commanded sharply.

Then she ran. Blurring across the covered bridge onto the second floor of the original house, Lin came up short behind Reika. Disheveled with sleep the old woman was in the doorway to Sen's room, hovering uncertainly on the threshold.

"Give me your name stranger!?" Suzume snarled from inside.

"Don't shout! You'll wake the guests!" Mrs. Nikkou hissed angrily before taking notice of her, "Lin! Thank O-Inari-sama you're here! He won't obey me anymore! Get that idiot off the poor thing before he does something stupid!"

Lin took one look over the old woman's head and shoved her way inside because this was serious. A rabbit was supplicating on the floor at Suzume's feet. How the kami had gotten into the house was beyond Lin. Though she wore her mask and held a flashing silver knife a single glance was all it took to realize the poor creature was harmless. A second glance was all Lin needed to understand why the rabbit couldn't answer; she didn't have a name to give the fox.

But Suzume didn't see that. No more than a few hours after chasing it away the storm was back and blowing inside him. The fox loomed over the creature in all his blazing fury with foxfires orbiting his head in a wild sizzling mess. He had backed her into a corner and the rabbits eyes were all whites, unseeing with terror. Lin recoiled with a gasp a one of the foxfires clipped her shoulder. She slapped at the curling tongue that lifted from blackening the fabric, extinguishing the fire before dodging another burning globe as it grazed the top of her head.

Thunder boomed as the fox shouted at the rabbit, _"You will answer me!"_

"Suzume!" Lin shouted, recoiling from another orb, "Suzume!"

But he didn't hear her. He didn't see her.

Panic coiled around her heart like threads of ice as he reached for the rabbit. Suzume had hurt her once when he was all worked up like this. She was not about to see him hurt another. Stepping between seconds Lin careened through the orbiting foxfires and grabbed the fox's arm, hauling him back before he could reach the intruding kami.

She didn't expect him to react as he did.

Lin caught air as he threw her off. Her back hit the wall so hard it shattered inward. Momentarily pain robbed her of sight. But wrath returned it just as swiftly making the world sharp and bright. And the world snapped into focus with such clarity Lin moved without thinking, moved so quickly her body outran her ability to think.

Lin backhanded Suzume with her only fist. Hit him so hard she sent him sprawling to the floor.

At once the foxfires went still, frozen throughout the room. Blind with rage she reached for her sword only to find it wasn't there. Instead she lifted her hand to hit him again, coming up short as he flinched back. His face wiped with horror as he saw her for the first time and realized what he had just done.

Lin stopped herself short of hitting him again. But barely, just barely. Because there was blood on his face.

Lin stared at the red. There was blood the mouth she had kissed less than hours ago. It was his blood, spilled by her hand. Her heart shattered into a thousand pieces as she stared down at him. He had not seen her. He had not heard her. He had not _meant_ to hurt her. But she had intentionally made him _bleed_! But she was still so _very_ angry. It poisoned her, turning shards of her heart turned to stone, making her cruel.

" _Now you have failed!"_

She spat the words into his Suzume's face without a shred of mercy. Whirling away, plucking the knife from the sobbing rabbit's hands, Lin bit the blade between her teeth and hauled the compliant creature off the floor. Shoving by Mrs. Nikkou, she half carried the rabbit from the room and down the back stairs into the kitchen. Rain was pouring down outside so violently it vibrated the floors. And Lin didn't care if the guests had heard their row, she was sick of pleasing humans. Like the never had fights!

Onsen filled the hearth with bright white fire, sending the shadows shifting eerily as she jittered round the rafters nervously. The house was still unsure of what to make of the still sobbing rabbit. The kami tucked up her knees and curled into a ball the moment Lin sat her in the nook. Her soft fur was a creamy brown and her long ears were tied back under a sensible orange head scarf that was out of character with her tacky scandalously short red kimono. It showed off way too much of her shapely long legs and tiny feet. Lin wrinkled her nose because the bunny stank of terror and stale beer.

Taking the blade from her teeth, she stared at the rabbit and envied her.

This was exactly what Lin wanted to do: curl into a ball and sob her eyes out. Because what she said to Suzume was only now beginning to sink in. She might as well have stabbed him in the heart. And for a moment there didn't seem to be enough air in the room. She couldn't breathe for all the terrible regret that swelled inside her heart until there wasn't anything else inside her. Onsen jerked a bench away from the table, sliding it right under her as she sat down, otherwise she would have ended up on the floor.

Staring overhead, her eyes filled to the point where she couldn't see.

Tears poured down her cheeks all the same.

And it was a waste! All of this was such a waste!

"Stop that!" Lin snapped at the creaking roof, angrily wiping her face as Onsen pitched a panic trying to get her attention, "Look, she's _harmless_!"

Lin flinched and dropped the knife as something invisible tugged on it. It rolled into the middle of the floor then came to a stop. Dropping to her knees, Lin snatched it up as though it was the most precious thing in the world.

It was Ume's knife. It had gone missing the same time Haku disappeared.

"Where did you get this!?" Lin hushed, throwing her eyes at the rabbit.

The kami had pushed back her mask and was staring distantly, rocking slowly but no longer sobbing. She had a sweet face and a pink nose that twitched as she sniffed repeatedly. On hand and knees Lin clambered over, shrinking back and gently extending her hands as the rabbit flinched. Her dark eyes went wide and frantic as she half stood, looking ready to bolt.

"Usagi, I need you to listen to me," Lin began as gently as possible, trying not to rush, "I know you're scared but I won't let anyone hurt you. You are welcome here. We're going to help you. I'm kami so you know I can't lie. Nod if you understand."

Although she was staring blankly the rabbit's ears pricked. She nodded slowly.

"Good," Now Lin held up the knife, "Now can you to tell me where you go this?"

"M-Miss Okesa g-gave it t-to m-me."

The rabbit stammered in the barest hush as her dark eyes turned to on her. As they did Lin's world narrowed to the sound of the stranger's voice.

"You know Okesa?"

Usagi nodded solemnly, "S-she said I c-c-couldn't come. She s-said it was too dangerous. So Mr. Haku asked me t-to bring this to s-someone named Lin."

The rabbit withdrew a folded piece of yellowed paper from her kimono.

Lin choked on a sob, because it smelled like rain.

Her name was printed on the front in the dragon's perfect crisp calligraphy.

"You must be M-miss Lin," Usagi was searching her face as she held out the letter, "H-he said you wouldn't let anyone hurt me."

Putting down the knife Lin took the paper with such gentleness, afraid it was going to disintegrate the moment she touched it.

"Lin?"

Whirling at the sound of Natsumi's voice she found the rest of the Bath House kami clambered and peering through a crack in the slider leading to the back porch. They were soaked through from the blowing rain. Uttering a tiny squeak, Usagi scrambled under the table and hid from view. Rolling her eyes and hastily stuffed the letter into the front of her kimono along with the knife. Then Lin was on her feet and pointing.

"Everyone except Natsumi get back to the God Wing!"

Frogs milled and scattered as the damp yuna squeezed through a crack in slider.

"I heard… _shouting_."

Her knowing gray eyes were the size of her face as she came forward with anxiously clenched hands. Again the old kami was staring at her stomach. At once heat flooded Lin's face but it did no good to hide anymore.

"When does anyone in this house ever talk?" She muttered in exasperation, throwing her hand at the nook, "There's a rabbit somewhere under this table. Can you clean her up, feed her, and put her to bed? I'll explain everything in the morning."

"Of course," Natsumi was already peering under the bench, beckoning gently, "It's alright, dear. You can come out now."

As she turned away Lin was forced up short as a sharp stab twisted in her back only to spread down through her body until she was bent by the sheer force of it. She caught herself on the edge of the bench as if almost forced her to her knees. At once Natsumi had her by the arm. Her face was utterly pale.

"Lin! You're _bleeding_!"

Looking down Lin found a blot of red soaking the front of her white kimono.

At once she was shaking as her head swam.

Blood on the snow! Oh, Gods! Oh, Gods! _There was blood on the snow!_

Suddenly she was back in the forests feel the beating of distant clubs throbbing inside her veins. The light and the ground dissolved and she was sinking into cold. Had she fallen through the ice on Lake Shikaribetsu? She couldn't tell because everything was dark. She was drowning in it and Lin struggled to find the surface but couldn't.

"S-Suzume!"

She gasped, reaching for him in the dark.

And then she was gone, lost to the pulling current of oblivion.


	10. Chapter 10

**HAKU**

Haku jerked away from the window, sprawling on the floor.

As he clung to the worn upholstery of the adjacent seating another subway train went roaring by in the opposite direction. In spite of the cat's council that he would grow _used-to-it_ Haku found himself at the point of panic each time another car passed. The force of its speed and proximity buffeted the entire cabin as it went tearing by in a chorus of wild clicking and flickering, jostling him up and down blasts of acrid burning air pumped through every nook and crack around the window frame. The people on the opposite train rushed by so quickly he hardly saw them. Luckily their car was empty else the other passengers would have surely thought him mad. He could not keep himself transparent while in a constant state of fright.

"Neh?" As if she had not a care in the world the cat was lounging on the ghost, looking down at him like he was an idiot, "Why y'keep doin' tha'?"

"Because it is _terrifying_!" He muttered peevishly.

Haku flinched, shrinking as the train shimmied back into a smoother path as its sibling whisked away into a blinding light. Outside was nothing but the filthy tiled face of a rushing curved wall. They were far beneath the ground and that was doing nothing to improve his mood. But never had Haku thought to be glad to be below, because above was filled with horrors that cut him all the much more deeply since he had only recently caught a glimpse of heaven.

At once memories transported him to earlier that evening.

Again he faced the red bath token that firmly fixed to the face of the door.

And with a deep breath he pulled open the portal.

Standing there, Haku held his breath and stared. It had taken all is self control not to step across the doorway into Chihiro's room. The powerful scent of pine breathed through the dark, wafting beneath the gauzy curtains. In the dimness the inviting plump futon looked so incredibly soft. The pillow was sure to smell of her hair. But even as he leaned towards the crossing against his better judgment the cat shoved Usagi past him, yanking shut the door lest she come running back through. Her tearful terrified face was the last thing Haku before the magic severed. But he was glad they sent her over. The gentle creature had no chance of surviving a day let alone an hour in this hellish place.

That he was here himself was not something he could think on yet

So he opened the door of his memories and found Satako waiting.

At once he was transported back earlier that day once again sitting in the chair beside the human child's bed. Grinning in excitement she snatched up her open sketchbook revealing the rainbow armada of colored pencils spread out over the white sea of her blanket. As the ghost paced behind him and the cat wolfed down the child's diner leftovers Satako had him to sit motionless so she might draw. Again and again she sketched, pleading for just one more until he could no longer use her as an excuse. She was exhausted by the excitement they had caused and kept falling asleep with he pencil poised. Though he repeated over and over that he would return she clutched his hand with her tiny warm fingers as if afraid to let go. He was also afraid to let go, afraid to leave the safety her smile afforded him.

"Promise?" She whispered almost fearfully as her dark eyes fluttered closed.

Such a hole the simple word punched through his heart.

She was so very much like Chihiro.

"Yes," He returned with gentle assurance, fading away into the dimness as he drew on his mask, finally forcing himself to let her hand go.

They could not cram themselves inside her room in spite of Satako's insistence that they could, especially not after the girl's mother came in. He had almost lost his grip on his illusion in that moment. The thin brittle woman immediately went about straightening, gathering Satako's pencils and book only to store them across the room high on a shelf. Then she sat in the chair beside her daughter's bed, staring at the sleeping girl as if she could not believe what she was seeing.

They had carefully crept from the room, unseen by the hospital staff as they took and elevator down. What a horrible ordeal that had been! Pressed up in that tiny windowless room only to sink like a stone! Haku had bolted out the front door the moment the doors dinged open, only to come up short beneath the soaring citadel of electric towers that filled the Ward called Ginza. Never before had Haku seen buildings so tall. His neck ached as he turned his eyes higher and higher until he was turning in circles because the forest of building surrounded him completely.

The awe the structures struck in his squeezing heart had turned all too quickly. Because though the singing humming lights encrusting the exteriors shifted in curtains of shimmering beautiful colors, like hordes of poisonous insects they emitted such a stink of burning metal he could hardly breathe! Haku shrank from light after buzzing hideous yellow light as they filled the night with noxious glowing bright until it was no longer night! The low sky was on fire with clouds of filth as car upon car roared and thundered by. But what was worse, beyond the bitter polluted air and blinding light. was the noise! It never ceased! Honking, screeching, rattling, rumbling, roaring _noise_! Haku flinched and shrank from it, clamping his hands over his ears, choking on a sob as he fell to his knees crushed beneath it all.

Then Cinna hauled him to his feet.

With the bar of her frozen arm tightly clamped around his middle she wound him back and forth through the endless labyrinth of street until they careened around and down a narrow stair, ducking beneath the ground into a press of quiet walls beneath a pink sign that announced Asakusa. That the name of their destination: Asakusa. In the empty sanctuary known as a subway tunnel they had come upon the train carrying him now. But it turned out that even trains could be terrifying. Surfacing from the inside of his head, climbing back onto his seat, Haku clamped his hands over his ears and shut his eyes, trying not to hear whatever might be hurtling by behind him. Numb and vibrating from head to toe, Haku jolted back as something cold touched his hand.

"We are here," Tomoe was crouched in front of him looking through him with lidless sympathetic jet eyes, "Come quickly, my lord."

He barely made it through the doors before they closed behind him, throwing himself backwards from the recessed tracks as with a breathy squeal the subway hummed and whizzed off, disappearing in a clickity-hiss around the bend of the dark tunnel going where only the humans knew. Just as before the station platform was empty save the thickets of posters depicting smiling humans holding up this or that. Humans seemed to abhor any blank space for they covered every inch with banners and bills all recommending the reader purchase this drink or wear that hat. They were actually quite pretty and a welcome change to the brown, beige, dirty white, or gray that seemed to coat the rest of the world in drab obscurity.

"Tch… Hasn' _changed_ much…"

Cinna was crouched low at the base of the stairs yawned up away from the platform. Her slitted red eyes were cautious as she peered up into the distance. Although her breath did not cast a cloud Haku's did. It plumed into the air from behind his mask like a curtain of white and he shivered violently, glad for the clothes he had borrowed from Akio's closet. Beneath his cloak the buttoned shirt was far too large round his middle and the pants too wide and short; but they were warm. And though the shoes pinched his feet and made the skin between his toes go clammy, they kept him safe from the broken glass that seemed to be lying all about. He did not, however, enjoy their smell. They reeked of the chemical perfumes humans preferred.

"C'mon, kitten," Cinna pulled her mask down, already padding up the steps, "We's goin' up now."

The stairs divided then turned then divided again!

And Haku marveled at the cat's knowledge of this place. All ways smelled of fresh air and soon they popped out onto a footpath beneath the low rusted overhang of a long corridor of closed and boarded shops. Unlike the Ward of Ginza Asakusa was devoid of life and light. The whole district seemed to be sleeping. He could almost feel it's slow even breath rise and fall beneath his feet. On the opposite side of the street rag-tag building piled up on each other like assorted cans and boxes ready to tip over at any moment. Coming forward to the curb, Haku tasted the air and spat out the sulfurous reek of mucky water.

"Sumida River's tha' way," Cinna jabbed her finger in a meaningless direction, "We's goin' this way."

As she pointed behind him Haku turned only to crane his neck, coming along the sidewalk and coming out into the bare night before an enormous red temple gate.

 _Kaminarimon_ : so the painted sign beside it advertised.

Completely out of odds with the urban sprawl all around it, the gate loomed at the head of a long avenue stretching like a shadow toward the dark rising bulk of what could only be its temple. Buddhist; so he judged from the sweet tang of distant burning incense. On either side of the gate two statues peered from behind a thick mesh of wire. The Gods of Wind hefted his swollen storm bladder across his shoulders as The God of Thunder lifted his strikers toward a halo of drums. The color was peeling from the ancient wood of their carved bodies, which were empty in spite of their gold and silver inset eyes. Between the two guardians, hanging from the massive lintel, was a colossal red lantern that made even the gate appear small. Haku quietly bowed to the gate.

At once he shivered, peering into the dark curiously.

Because the wind that blew down the empty avenue was laden with magic.

Darting ahead, the cat beckoned impatiently, _"C'mon!"_

With the ghost skating in his shadow, Haku followed beneath the great red lantern, gazing up at the coiled dragon cared on the wooden plate at its base before hurrying into the thickening dark passing more shuttered shops. These lined either side of the stone walk in squat strips that broke from time to time offering views down more narrow corridors sometimes bridged by walkways criss-crossing between the multi-storied shacks. Haku came up short as again the smell of magic breathed its way down a wider alley. In the distance, almost lost between the hanging signs, a red lantern glowed in the dark like a beacon.

Haku jumped as Cinna tugged on the hem of his cloak.

"Neh?" She demanded in a low whisper, "Look heavy 'nough?"

The cat held up a pouch which she shook. It jingled as if full of coins.

Haku blinked, "What is it?"

He opened the purse only to discover bottle caps and rocks.

"S'posed t'be coins," She fixed him with a pointed stare, "If anyone asks yeh jus' jingle it an' say we's got's plenty o' money. Aye can't lie bu' yeh can, got it?!"

With a dark scowl he reluctantly kept the bag and held his tongue.

"Such a ruse is too risky, Iihito." Tomoe cut in unhappily, "Memories are long in this place and I would not incur anymore ire than you have already."

"Doncha think aye know tha'?!" She spat back ungraciously, "We ain't got no other choice! They ain't gonna let beggers in, yeh know tha'!"

"Please, Iihito… Do not be angry," Reluctantly Tomoe proffered his hands and a pile of gold extruded straight from his palms, "Better we should use this in case we are asked to prove ourselves."

" _Holy shite!"_ Cinna went all eyes as her tail bristled out. At once she was hanging on the ghost's hands peering between his face and the bits of flashing yellow, "When'd yeh learn t'make _gold_!?"

"It is not real," Haku cut in dourly, "Eventually it will turn to dirt."

"So?" She glared at him over her shoulder, tossing her hip and twitching her tail. "S'good 'nough t'git us ah room an' food t'eat til aye cun make us some _real_ coin."

Snatching back the purse so she could dump the contents and scoop in the gold, Cinna bounced it in her hand and grinned widely as if more than satisfied by the jingling it produced.

"Faces on boys; from 'ere on we got's t'be Gods."

From the corner of his eye Haku watched Tomoe lower his face into his hands. When he surfaced his jet eyes peered through Kaonashi's ominous ivory visage. Pulling on his mask and cloak, Haku followed the cat off the main road into the narrow alley with the ghost in his shadow.

The moment his feet left the large stone blocks Haku could feel eyes pressing down on him from above. Glancing up he caught movement in the shadows along the rusty cages of the dubiously brittle fire escapes. Again he saw movement. And this time glowing eyes blinked here and there. A fey prickle eddied across his arms as a mist came creeping cross the cobbles. Suddenly the angles of the leaning buildings seemed far too extreme as the numinous lantern charged the spray with crimson, seeming to be floating ahead of them now. It led the way beneath a canopy of power lines that clogged the space over his head, tangled up on one another like reaching vines and cobwebs. Following around a corner that seemed to turn them right back to their beginning the lantern ceased moving, hovering in the air. Because in front of them was a dead pine tree so immense it filled the space between two brick and mortar buildings.

As if it had shoved them out of the way the structures leaned away, staring down at him with empty windows. He could not see around the snag for it was far too thick. Its swollen trunk had actually shattered the bricks at the base of the buildings and it knotted roots bunched and broke through the asphalt at its feet as if trying to push back the cement. Coiled round the tree's middle like a ratty rope belt was a thick shinegawa festooned with tattered shide. Broken dishes and bowls filled with leaves and dirty water clustered on the stone of the tree's altar. It did not look as if anyone had left the snag an offering in some time.

Sashaying up to the tree as if it owed her something, Cinna knocked three times on the dry trunk and jingled the purse. When nothing happened she knocked again jingling much louder. Wilting with a sigh she paced backwards lashing her tail irritably and shouted up at the red lantern. It was hovering much higher now, listing between the broken branches.

" _OI!"_

The charred edges of an eye opened between the slats of the lantern's ribs, blinking down at them as the bright flame of its iris fixed on the cat. She held up a piece of the gold that glinted in the light of its suddenly wide eye.

" _Open up, neh?!"_

She tossed the nugget into the air and the lantern dove, revealing its sooty lips as split in half and swallowed the gold. Shooting up into the air like a rocket, doing a loopty-loop over the top of the snag, the lantern left them in darkness.

"I could carry us over," Haku muttered beneath his breath.

He frowned at the top of the snag dubious that the lantern would return. And the tree was not as tall as he first estimated. He could easily carry them over using Onsen's umbrella.

"Short-cuts only led t'trouble, kitten," she abruptly yanking down her ebony mask and raking him with eerie red gaze, "Now shut yer yap."

Wordlessly she shot her eyes at the curiously low lantern. Not without a touch of trepidation Haku pulled the hood of his tatter cloak closer. He did not want to think about what would happen should it be discovered that he was not as he appeared. Abruptly his thoughts were pulled off path as magic surged up through the tree. It shuddered from its roots to its crown as if waking; then a door ripped outward from the bulk of its trunk. In its gut was a stone spiral staircase leading down into its root. A shifting kaleidoscope of light glowed from the silent depths. And instead of the wind blowing out it breathed in, pulling on their cloaks as if trying to drag them across.

This was a crossing to the Spirit World.

Haku recoiled even as the cat sprang forward.

"You said nothing of crossing!" It was his turn to hiss furiously.

"Where didja think we wuz gonna stay? T'Hilton!?"

Cinna came up so short Tomoe was forced to glide around her lest he crash into her back. With bristled tail she whirled and stomped her foot, throwing a hand back the way they had come.

"I promised a swift return to Satako!"

With a gasp Cinna leapt for the tree as the door attempted to swing shut. Tomoe forced it back with a single hand, barring the way effortlessly.

"This ain' our world up here! We's got no place else t'go but _down_!"

Haku held his ground, "It could be weeks!"

"T'kid'll wait! C'mon, kitten!" Cinna hissed, trying to reason as she reached pleadingly, "You don' wanna be here when sun-up comes, _trust me!_ Least down there's witches t'chat 'bout _curses_!"

Haku blinked; because the cat had touched upon the only thing that could have tempted him below. And Cinna could not lie to him. If there were witches to be found who were knowledgeable on curses it would be well worth the loss of a week. Already he knew it was stupid to protest, for there was no place else they could go. What other choice did he have?

"One night and one day," He commanded, "I can afford nothing more."

"Fine!" The cat hissed, already inside and climbing down, "Jus' git in 'ere!"

Following quickly with a wary glance at the nosily hovering lantern, Haku tried to steady his nerves upon entering the close space. Inside the tree's echoing belly smelled very strongly of wet cedar.

Glancing up through the narrow chute he saw the dim glow of sky far overhead.

That was the only thing that allowed him to descend the slick stone stairs.

* * *

 **LIN**

Listening to the gentle whispering of a thousand voices; hearing the placid echo of falling, splashing water; feeling the warm curling tickle of a rising mist; Lin stirred. Slowly, like she was floating somehow, she rose to the surface of something and opened her eyes on a gold green sea of shifting light. Blinking once, twice, she tried to clear the brightness swimming through her eyes. Hazily it came into focused until she realized the voices were rustling leaves in the white bright canopy high over the arching ferns that latticed over her in lacy shades of green. Steam plumed as she moved, and the spongy ground beneath her back was warm and wet with the water trickling all around her. She was half floating in a pool of it, soaked until her skin was sodden with uncanny warmth as if she had bathed in water heated by mortal fire.

Memories flashed through the inside of her head like a stab of pain.

Sitting up, Lin scrambled with her kimono only to find it was white.

No red. No blood.

As wild panic sent wings beating against the inside of her heart Lin flattened her only hand over her stomach and felt the warmth had permeated even here. Slowly she calmed, lulled again by the warmth, because inside her belly the kits were sleeping as if lulled to dreams by the heat. Standing unsteadily among the bracken, feeling the spongy mosses give beneath her feet, Lin found herself feeling oddly light as if gravity no longer held sway in this world.

As she stared up at the mammoth dome of the camphor tree she knew why.

Either she was dreaming or she had crossed into the Spirit World.

The sky was far too bright to be normal and the boughs overhead still had leaves thought it was nearly winter. Curling eddies of mushi danced on curtains of steam so thick the air was alive with the iridescent glow of the fragile creatures. It was beautiful but eerily so. As strange as the odd hollow sound thrilling on the breeze that went blowing through the clearing, sending shivers of promotion stirring through her blood as the mists parted, revealing the ghost of a great vermillion torii gate. It floated over her until the stone stairs resolved at its feet, melting out of the heavy haze. The steep steps led up to the swelling slope of the mound perforated by the massive roots of the ancient shrine tree. Standing beneath the gate and making the structure look small, a Goddess wore a living robe of vibrant green velvet moss and lacy ferns that seemed to grow right out of the stones. Her skin was made from rich red earth and the rough pale bark of her hair was wreathed with winking golden flame.

O-Inari-sama looked down at her with expectant eyes of the same flame.

Paralyzed with shock, Lin could only stare as the Goddess beckoned. Turning slowly, causing more mushi to wink into being with every movement, making flowers and saplings burst into life beneath her knotted root feet, O-Inari-sama walked with steps that shook the ground around the periphery of her tree, making even the swelling trunk seem smaller. Hurrying up the steps as the Goddess disappeared around the other side; Lin had to fight her way through the thicket of new growth before struggling over the massive roots of the tree. Finally making her way to the opposite side, clambering atop a particularly large root, Lin found the Goddess standing with her hand on the trunk looking down through the thick mists as if seeing into forever.

With a shaky bow Lin crept by, fording along the apex of the root. Making her way through the thick heavy mists, she peered into the swallowing light without success until a twist of golden flame burst into life somewhere in the void. Startling back, Lin sat down hard and scrambled to keep hold on the slick face of the root. But it was too smooth and she slid right off the edge, landing on her feet after a short fall in the dark close press of two gigantic roots. The moss beneath her bare feet was so springing it was a wonder she did not bounce.

Creeping forward, she followed the burning point of fire. It was almost directly ahead now, floating above and illuminating the way between the thick mists. Lin came up short as a shape appeared in the fog. Cagily she inched closer, reaching for the sword at her side only to realize once again that she'd given it away. With her heart hammering in her chest she crept closer still only to have cold relief go washing through her as she discovered it was only a statue. The weathered stone was carved into the shape of a fox. Skirting around to its front Lin came up short as she discovered the huddled figure tucked against the guardian's feet. She almost didn't see him; he was so faded and transparent he had all but disappeared.

"Suzume!"

Lin reached for him but her hand passed right through him.

" _Suzume!"_

She shouted this time and still he didn't hear her. She couldn't see his face because it was buried in his tucked up knees, hidden beneath the spider silk pour of his tattered hair. Growing more and more terrified, Lin reached for the fox only to touch the stone statue, because no matter how many times she tried to take hold of him and shake him to his senses her hands passed right through him.

" _Help me!"_ Lin shrieked to the swallowing white fog, _"Please!?"_

At once she whirled, falling to her knees as the Goddess was standing over them so huge that her hands rough bark hands became the bend of the camphor roots beside them. Throwing her eyes back to Suzume Lin gasped and recoiled as she discovered Haku had replaced him. He was sitting on his knees staring in stark horror at the wet red blood on his hands. It was spattered all over his mask and blue lacquered armor. And the wide green eyes behind the oculars of the dragon's visage were traumatized.

"H-Haku!?"

Lin came up short and gasped again as a sharp pain twisted in her back. At once red was suddenly soaked across the white hem of her kimono. The ground heaved as the root behind her back tore from the ground, plucking her up with into the whirling white with powdery fingers of earth and stone. And the eerie hollow whistling intensified, growing almost painfully loud along with the echoing sound of trickling pouring water as O-Inari-sama lifted Lin right up to her face until she could feel the burning heat of her eyes. The Goddess's breath ignited the air until there was nothing but gold fire. The burning warmth engulfed Lin until it was pumping inside her veins and searing through her bones, throbbing inside her head until it felt like her skull might split.

With a chocked gasp Lin woke up.

Jolting against the futon she recoiled into the crook of the wall and slapped her hand against the wood. Kiri uttered a startled squawk as the room shuddered. She poor topped over backwards, clinging to the wall as if expecting to be ejected forcefully by the very floorboards. Apparently, Lin had startled Onsen as well. At once the house was fluttering all around her with the disembodied mothy wings of her worried excitement.

"Enough!" Lin snapped, near to being smothered by the time the house's attention withdrew to the rafters, fluttering around overhead anxiously.

"Y-you okay?"

Kiri went paler than pale as Lin's gaze skated back to her. Unlike usual, the human was wearing a pair of faded black jeans and a long sleeve black yellow striped shirt that made her look like a bee. Ugh… _Yellow!_ The color made the white at the roots of the human's chemical dyed hair show all that more strongly. The coloring was fading now, as if the former temple maiden had given up hiding it. Lin could clearly see the streak in the bright light streaming through the paper sliders at the foot of her futon.

"Y-you were, uh, _mumbling_ an' stuff," Kiri's troubled mismatched eyes lifted to the air over the bed as she pointed at nothing, "T-there was a glowy kinda light… Is that s'posed t'happen?"

"I was dreaming," Lin returned sharply.

It was more of a nightmare than a dream. But the worried hand Lin put on her belly found the kits well and sleeping. She snatched back her hand, wiggling her fingers. Because the swell of her belly was unusually warm as though it had retained the heat of the camphor tree water from her dream. At a loss herself as she attempted to sit up only to realize that was not such a good idea. She was still _very_ sore.

"No-no!" Kiri fretted, suddenly scooting to the edge of the futon and flustering her hands as if ready to hold her down, "Natsumi said you shouldn't get up."

"Natsumi doesn't tell me what to do," Lin gritted between her teeth but remained lying down, "And neither do you."

"I-I know that," the human amended quietly, "We just want you t'rest, okay?"

Lin closed her eyes, brought to stillness by the worried sincerity in Kiri's voice. We: the word kindled a point of warmth in the stony lump inside her chest that was slowly turning back into a heart.

"Sorry, girl," Lin sighed gustily, "I've spent so many days filing myself to a point I don't know how to be anything but sharp anymore."

"S-so you're okay, then? You're really okay?"

Cracking an eye Lin peered at the human as Kiri was back at the edge of the futon and flustering again.

"I am," she put a hand on the swell of her belly, "So are the kits."

Wordlessly Kiri wilted against the opposite wall in utter relief. But her hushed words were pinched with a hot threat of anger, "Natsumi told me he hurt you."

A bucket of shock poured over her heart as Lin took a moment to absorb that. "Wrong," she breathed, "I hurt him more than he hurt me."

"W-what happened?"

Again Lin flashed sharp eyes sideways at the human. But this time Kiri stood her ground in spite of the obvious tremble she tried to hide by clenching her hands into fists.

"Have you ever accidentally hurt someone?"

Kiri blinked before red bloomed in her face, "Y-yeah…?"

"How about on purpose?" Lin bit back harshly.

She swallowed with difficulty, because it was impossible not to see the look on Suzume's face as she did. Throwing her only hand over her face, she tried to hide the tears as she choked miserably. Turning away on her side, Lin struggled to keep quiet, glaring at the wood paneled wall until it blurred away into nothing. But she failed; failed in so many ways.

"Its okay, Lin," Kiri murmured softly, "Everyone's working. No one will hear."

Her warm hand gently spread on her shoulder, making Lin's skin crawl. She shrugged out from under the touch, being cruel as she found herself adrift in sadness.

"Don't tell me what to do, _human_! Just… _Just go away!_ "

But Kiri didn't go away. She just sat there until Lin had stopped sobbing. Then, like she'd turned into some kind of God, the human let loose the truth.

"Loosin' someone kinda fucks up everyone who's left behind. I don't know why, but people go at each other after somethin' like that. It's all wrong, but yelling's easier n'admittin' how much y'hurt. But it keeps us from seeing it's really nobody's fault and we keep loosin' people 'cause we're too blind or stubborn to admit that. That's how was for me an' Keiichi when mom left us with granddad. That's how it was for Amano an' Hidé when Manami died. I think that's the way it is for all of us now that Hidé and Chihiro're gone." Kiri uttered a low humorless laugh, "How dumb are we, huh?"

"Pretty dumb," Lin muttered sullenly with a gusty sigh.

"Look, I know this looks bad, but we both screwed up, alright? Suzume and I were both were being stupid and not paying attention. He didn't mean to hurt me, although I sure as hell did!" Here Lin's voice grew so thick is failed, "And this time we screwed up so badly I'm not sure what to do."

Gingerly rolling onto her back, Lin stared at the ceiling.

"I dunno either," Kiri hushed uncertainly, "But then again I don't know about anything anymore… I'm just glad to be alive."

Glancing at the former temple maiden, Lin watched her play with the ring on her finger. It was gold with a large cold diamond. Amano sold one of his motorcycles to buy it for her in Matsuzaki Bay. Kiri spun it round and round as she stared off through the wall as if trying to divine an answer. As she did the shadow coalesced around the edges of her being like a halo of dark. Somehow it made the brightness just inside the edges of that stain seem to shine brighter. At once Lin found herself staring at the human.

"Did you tell him yet?"

Kiri shut her eyes, drawing her lips into a thin line, "No."

As Lin opened her mouth one of the kits kicked her right in the spine.

"Ouch!" She winced, gripping her belly as they kicked again, _"Ouch! Ouch!"_

"What?!" Kiri was beside the futon in a panic.

"Ah, they're kicking the _hell_ outta me!" She growled in exasperation.

"R-really?" At once the human woman's hands were hovering as her miss-matched eyes lit up with fascination, staring at her stomach.

"Go ahead."

Lin snorted as timidly Kiri grazed her fingers over her belly no where near the right spot. Taking her hand and firmly pressing it against the wall of her stomach, Kiri jolted as one of the younglings kicked her palm. Jerking back, she shook her hand as if she'd been bitten.

"That's amazing! They're so _strong_!"

The human's face so alight with wonder Lin couldn't help but snort again.

"It looses its novelty. You'll be glad for your birthing day after months of _this_!"

Suddenly a stark expression of terror came creeping across Kiri's face.

"There's nothing to be afraid of, girl." Lin hushed with frank vehemence, speaking of many things, "We will take care of you. All of you."

But the fear in her remained as the shadows darkened as if responding to the emotion. Lin shrank because it was the first time she could remember seeing the stain change. Instead of recoiling she held onto human's hand, gripping her fingers tightly. Whatever lingered in the human could not pass between them.

"C-can you feel it…?!" Kiri hushed as her eyes went all whites. She was holding so very still she began trembling as if terrified by the idea that something might be standing behind her, "I can feel it…!"

"No," Lin returned as evenly as she could, "But I see it."

Holding perfectly still Lin watched the shadow flexed around Kiri, fluttering and pulsing as it unfolded like a dim morning glory, bleeding up the wall behind her with seeking reaching tendrils. It was not a Forgotten for it held none of the hunger or the malevolence that afflicted the black tar. Furthermore Onsen had not alerted to its presence, which meant that the house probably already knew of it.

"W-what _t'fuck_ is it?!"

"I don't know." Lin hushed, "I've never seen anything like it."

Kiri blinked rapidly, struggling to take that in. She refused to look at it, probably due to some human superstition. She shifted her wide eyes to the ceiling as the shadow crept around her knees, moving placidly like an unhurried sea cucumber.

"I d-don't think Obasama can see it. Neither can Amano an' Kai. None of 'em have said anything an' this kinda hard t'miss!"

"Suzume couldn't see it either. I don't understand why I can."

Curiously Lin took back her hand and reached to touch one of the seeking nodes that worked its way along the edge of the futon. It shrank from her prodding like a sea anemone, withdrawing back behind Kiri's knee, seemingly harmless.

"I don't think it's dangerous."

" _I don't care! I want it out!"_ Kiri's breath caught in her throat, "I wish I could see granddad! He knows as much about kami as Obasama."

Lin's jaw set at a hard angle as she spoke next, "Then you should see him."

"Keii won't let me come home!"

"So? Something tells me you've snuck in and out of that house before."

Kiri blinked, clearing the tears from her eyes. And a considering look went creeping across her face. Suddenly, like a startled snail withdrawing to safety of its shelf, the shadows shot back into Kiri's body. The former temple maiden knocked back against the wall and her eyes rolled back in her head. Lin scrambled for her until the human roused, putting a hand to her head.

Then a knock sounded on the door.

Lin's heart thrilled up into her throat as the slider opened. But no solemn faced fox stood like a storm cloud in her doorway. Her moody God was nowhere to be seen.

Instead Mrs. Nikkou stood on the threshold.


	11. Chapter 11

**LIN**

The old witch was pale with worry and thin as a ghost.

Impatiently peering around the old woman was Natsumi.

The old yuna held a tray of food and Lin's world narrowed to the bowls and plates on the tray. Grilled herring, rice, soup, canned peaches, tea and pickles; all this Lin smelled and in an instant her stomach growled ferociously. Wordlessly she reached; in silent reply Natsumi shoved by the old woman, putting the food right in her lap.

"Thank you for watching over her, dear."

Mrs. Nikkou was already chasing Kiri from the room. The human was gone before Lin couldn't appeal to the human to stay. Glaring at the rafters, mumbling around a mouthful of rice, she accused the Onsen of snitching.

"You told them I was awake, didn't you?"

The floor snapped uncomfortably.

As Lin turned back to eating Mrs. Nikkou sat on the floor at the foot of the futon. Every so often the witch's colorless eyes would drift to her stomach before turning away. Lin was too busy eating and too hungry to care. She devoured everything on the platter including the cup of aluminum stinking wedges of flavorless fruit flesh. Canned fruit was such a horror to eat; why humans so adored such food Lin would never understand. But as her stomach filled and her head cleared, she became uneasily aware of the old woman's presence. She was sitting with such rigid formality Lin was at once nervous.

"Natsumi, dear," Mrs. Nikkou began with a firmness inconsistent with her polite words, "Might I have a moment alone with Lin, please."

It was not a request, the kind of thing Suzume would say and immediately set Lin's teeth on edge. But the yuna's large eyes flashed to her seeking instruction and Lin ground her teeth, because the last thing she wanted was to be left alone with the old woman. All the same Lin nodded. Gracefully gathering up the tray Natsumi retreated, shutting the door behind them.

"You too," Mrs. Nikkou glanced at the rafters.

Sulkily Onsen withdrew. At once the room seemed larger and less crowded. Somewhere outside a cloud passed over the sun. The light streaming through the sliders faded as Mrs. Nikkou pulled a folded piece of paper from the front of her kimono. Lin recognized Haku's letter immediately. This she placed on the quilt, over which she bowed in formal apology.

"I read it without your permission. For this I apologize."

Angrily snatching it up, Lin shoved it under her pillow all the while struggling to keep her temper in check. She failed miserably.

"I do not like you!" Lin spat explosively, "You take what isn't yours!"

Reika sat bolt upright. Behind the fragile gold rims of her glasses the witch's gray eyes were burning with indignation.

"Then we have something in common, don't we?"

That did it. Everything she'd kept bottled up for the fox's sake came rushing out.

" _You_ pushed him away!"

Lin thundered back just as mercilessly as she'd shouted at Suzume.

"He is a God! A _God!_ Have any idea what he's done for you!? What he continues to do for you!? And though he no longer serves you, _you use his love!_ _You don't love him_ and yet you cling to him like… like a _spoiled child_ who wants everything for herself!"

Tightening her only hand on the edge of the futon, Lin would have thrown it had she not been sitting on it. But she threw words enough and the old woman flinched from each one, putting up her palm as if warding them off.

" _Enough!_ " Reika barked.

The room went darker still as silence fell.

"Listen to us," The witch muttered ruefully, "We're squabbling like school girls."

" _You_ started it…!" Lin spat back grudgingly.

Here heat flooded her face as she made an idiot of herself. Neither one of them were doing well. Reika went thin lipped with fury, yanking off her glasses as she rounded sharp eyes on her once more.

"And _you_ assume you know _everything_! You're a stranger in this house! You're a stranger in this town! You don't know _anything_ about us!"

The old woman's fire stymied Lin.

It went right through her from her tiny boney feet to the kerchief on her gray head. And for a moment Lin was quite sure the old woman was going to burst into flames like some kind of paper offering given during the summer festivals. Though she was pale and her hands shook, though she could now barely walk without a cane, such strength raged in the old human. It was born of the magic that soaked through her every bone, burning inside her until it seemed it was hollowing her from the inside out. Sen had that same kind of fire inside her. It was no wonder the old woman had taken her for a student; although there'd been little time for teaching before Sen was stolen away. Here Reika subsided, growing quiet as her gray eyes turned aside as if ashamed.

"Do you know why I gave him away to Chihiro?"

As the old woman fretted with the hem of her yukata Lin answered reluctantly, because she couldn't give anything but the truth in return.

"Suzume says it's because he loves you too much. He said it's because if he continued to serve you he'd use his oath to keep you in this world against your will. Also… He thinks it's because he's failed you."

Closing her eyes Reika lips drew into a grim line.

"Don't you get tired of hearing that?"

"Yes." Lin answered while waiting impatiently for the truth.

Mrs. Nikkou sighed heavily, "I lied to Suzume."

Lin blinked and blinked.

"W-what?"

Again the old woman sighed gustily, as if letting out all the heat that had held her up before. She sagged back against the wall, pulling off her head kerchief so she could scratch and smooth her pure white hair.

"Oh, I am so old… _Too_ _old!_ I've been far too old for far too long and it's all Suzume's fault. But he can't make me immortal no matter how much he loves me. If I died with him in my service he would have died as well. So I lied to him and I told him I didn't love him so he'd finally let go of me."

Stunned by those truths Lin stared stupidly.

Because the old woman did love Suzume as he loved her, at least she had.

"You… You lied?"

"Humans can do that, remember?" Reika quipped wryly with fading mirth. Her face cleared as if awed, "But you can't lie can you? None of you can. You have to tell each other the truth no matter what. So you've known all along that he sleeps on my bed every night. You know this and you let him take his meals with me and you let me have him all day and night when rightfully he should be with you."

With stirring silver eyes like a deep mirrored pool, the old woman studied her face with such searching reluctance Lin didn't know what to think. Then Reika's gaze dropped to her belly. Again shame turned the witch grim as she slowly shook her head.

"I can't imagine what its cost you. Why you've allowed me to be so selfish I'll never understand…"

Silence struck for a moment as thunder rolled distantly.

"He still loves you," Lin whispered in spite of herself, "That's why."

"It's true, he loves me, but it's not the same as it used to be."

Reika cut her off before Lin could argue, stoking a coal of anger in her gut.

"I know him far better than you, so don't tell me otherwise. And for a while I was very angry with you for that. I suppose I've been confusing him to no end as of recent. Suddenly I find it extremely hard to let go of him," She murmured into another growling rumble of thunder, "For this I am sorry."

Reika put her glasses back on. With a wave of her hand she opened the paper slider revealing the storm cloud brewing in the sky over the black trees on the horizon. But bright shocks of red and yellow bloomed among the pines as October turned slowly into November. Across the field Yoshi and Little Green Frog emerged from the tree line carrying bamboo baskets full of creamy orange mushrooms. Lagging behind them, and not nearly so swift on his feet, came Kai. The little boy was still in his school uniform. Lin could clearly see the red blotches of mud on his knees. They almost bent in half under the gust of wind that blew in off the forest, running for the house as they fled the impending storm. With a shiver Lin pulled the quilt around her shoulders, jumping as the old woman began again in a hush nearly lost in the whistling wind.

"But I am glad. I am so very glad, because there will be foxes on Izu again."

A serene smile pulled her lips as she relaxed against the wall, staring at the brooding sky as is seeing more than clouds.

"And I don't have to worry about Kiri and Amano anymore. Their children and your children will grow up together, and when I do let go I can rest knowing this."

Lin gaped like a fish, skipping past the old woman's terrifying statement.

"Y-you know about Kiri!?"

"Of course I know, dear," Reika chuckled, "I'm a witch after all."

The old woman, however, did not bring up Kiri's second shadow.

Lin held her tongue on that matter, because Reika finally looked like she had found some semblance of peace. That was a hard thing to come by, so instead Lin returned to talk of the fox.

"How is Suzume?"

Reika blinked, bowing her head, "I haven't seen him since that night."

Lin frowned, "How long's it been?"

"Two days."

" _Two days!?"_

Mrs. Nikkou waved her off, adjusting her gold rimmed glasses, "Before you start worrying about the cleaning I assure you everything is taken care of. The rabbit girl has been truly industrious..."

" _Where is he!?"_

"I said I do not know!" The old woman bit back at a loss.

They glowered at each other before finally Lin looked away. Immediately Lin's eyes went to the slider as if she could see through the oiled paper into the field beyond.

"That stupid fox…"

Stiffly Lin climbed to her feet because she had an idea of where to find him.

Unfortunately it meant she was going to get soaking wet.

* * *

 **CHIHIRO**

" _Whoo!_ " Michio crowed from somewhere downstairs as she slammed the door.

Finally the Goth was home from work. Chihiro was getting used to the sounds of her best friend's return. _Clunk, clunk,_ went the sound of her platform boots hitting the floor of the closet. _Clink-rattle_ went her screaming skeleton keychain as it dropped into the bat shaped dish on the side table in the entryway. _Stomp-stomp-stomp_ ; she only ever came halfway up the stairs, shouting instead of coming all the way up.

"Did you see the rain?"

 _Stomp-stomp-stomp_ ; down she went; into the kitchen.

The backslider rattled right beneath Chihiro's room, giving her a fright. Looking up from her computer screen she only now realized it was pouring. It was raining so hard that the once blue sky has gone completely black. Curtains of water were pouring over the eve, blocking her view out the window into the walled garden. Glancing at the clock she realized she'd been writing for nearly eight hours and wasn't shocked by the fact that she'd lost entire day to the story.

A while back Chihiro decided to allow herself this much; she decided to let herself snoop around on the internet. Finally she found a picture of him. It was posted with the article detailing the earthquake and the subsequent unsuccessful search for a body. He was handsome. He had a sweet lop-sided smile. And his eyes were blue, something that surprised her. But it wasn't enough. It wasn't enough to see a picture of him. She would never be able to hear his voice or touch him. Everything about him was gone. So if she couldn't remember at least she could make something up

For the first time in nearly 10 years she could suddenly write again. The things that spilled out of her imagination were more than surprising, they were downright _weird_! Monster, magic, and men: it really was a sequel to her first book. Chihiro couldn't stop writing it. And it just _poured_ out of her like a movie she was simultaneously watching. And she had no idea what was going to happen! It was sick and sad, but she was in love with them. They were so… so _real!_ She could hear their voices and see their faces. And it wasn't healthy. This was _so_ not healthy! But still, she couldn't stop writing!

Her shrink would call this _attachment_ obsessive fixation. It was true; she'd looked it up online and the definition fit. So Chihiro didn't tell her doctor. Like a superstitious baseball player who refused to wash his socks in order to keep his winning-streak luck, Chihiro didn't tell anyone about the story. Kaatama hadn't given up since Michi spilled the beans. He pestered her every time they saw each other. According to Lydia Chihiro had developed quite a poker face.

Kaatama wasn't dumb; he knew she was working on something and so did Lydia. So did Michio; she lived with her after all; but by now she'd stopped asking. But Chihiro didn't say a word. She didn't tell anyone for fear of loosing them. She'd had writers block before and she was terrified of having it return.

She _needed_ the story.

She needed something to fill the time between Michio going to work and coming home. She needed something do beside clean the house and wait for the publishing house to send over the layouts for approval. Work was slow going because of how much creative control she'd required of the contracts. But she didn't care how long it took; she wanted it to be done right for Satako's sake.

Looking up, Chihiro stared at the far wall.

It was covered with drawings.

Red walled and green roofed, The Bath House clambered across every page. Scale it down and turn the tiles blue and it could be the Onsen. Lifting her eyes further still, Chihiro stared at the four broadsheet tiled across the top of the wall. Together they joined the curling loops a massive white dragon. It was a present from Satako. It was as good as anything that had come out of Studio Ghibli. Chihiro stared at the perfect image of Haku. The dragon's green eyes stared back at her with a look of such uncanny patience. It was too real and that was kinda eerie; because it was like the little girl had actually seen him, or something. Chihiro shuddered and looked away.

The little girl was as talented as she was prolific. Under her cheerful coaching the Oncology Ward at Tokyo Children's Hospital cranked out reams of phantasmagorical imagery. Chihiro had a lunch date with Doctor Tanaka tomorrow so she could sift through the newest batch in time for the mid November layout deadline. There were just too many pictures! They were all so great and she had it in her mind to edit an anthology of the drawings that didn't make it into this edition for her next project.

Suddenly a rain soaked wind that came billowing under her door.

Like an electric shock it made her sit back in her chair.

The smell was jarringly familiar. But even as her memory struggled to reveal why, it failed. Oh, it was such a terrifying sensation, the swallowing strangeness that sent her inside cold with a sinking sensation so strong it could have pulled her through the very floor! As the smell intensified along with the hammering on the roof, an anxious premonition drove her to her feet, chasing her from the room. With prickly shivers danced down her arms Chihiro winced as she found her left foot had fallen asleep.

 _Boom!_ Thunder growled overhead to fiercely it made the house shake.

Chihiro yelped in surprise, sitting down mid-step.

" _Whoo!"_ Michio shrieked and laughed from outside, " _Chihiro get down here!_ "

With her ankle aching with every step, Chihiro minced down the creaking wood stairs into the tatami matted living room. Jokingly Michi called it the dojo because it was also big enough to teach judo lessons. They'd removed four mats from the center so Michi could have her couch. The black leather loveseat looked completely at odds with the exposed beams and creamy white walls. The sofa's only friends were the equally out of place plasma TV, the Wii, the X-box, and the blinking wireless router. All of which were clustered on the glass entertainment center as if banding together in solidarity against the traditional interior. The place was still cavernously empty in spite of the piles of used manga, anime nick-knacks, and piles of the overstuffed Tetris Block bean bag cushions Michio had picked up in Shinjuku.

Following the chilly draft through the billowing split curtain she'd bought for the kitchen archway, Chihiro hurried through the enormous remolded kitchen heedless to the chrome and granite. She made her way for the wide open back door, pitching out under the roved veranda only to find Michi standing on stone bridge traversing the pond out back. She was utterly soaked by the rain with her arms spread to the sky. Her electric green hair plastered to her head and her mascara running down her face in inky black lines. And she was grinning from ear to ear like an idiot.

"What the _hell_ are you doing?!"

Michi blinked, turning as she caught sight of her.

"Huh?!" She shouted back, not hearing anything over the rain.

" _I said what're you doing!?"_

Chihiro tried to shout over the hammering rain, laughing in spite of herself because Michio obviously still couldn't hear her. So she gave up in the face of whatever wild mood had seized her friend. Kicking off her slippers, she dove through the pelting curtain of water. Oh, it was _freezing_! It was almost November and no time to be swimming! But she didn't care. Laughing and shrieking she joined Michi on the bridgeas the rain plastered her clothes to her body. And another crack of thunder detonated almost directly overhead as a crackling flash of lighting split its way across the sky. Michi cheered the sky on while throwing up her long soggy sleeves and flapping them like crow' wings.

Suddenly they were nine all over again.

They were nine-years-old and standing on the grassy bank out back of the housing complex where they'd been neighbors. It was summer and ridiculously hot and they were standing above the shallows of the river getting ready to jump in. Clasping hands they swung them back and forth: 1-2-3. Then Michio jumped first. She was always going first. But this time it was off the narrow bridge right into the pond. Chihiro screamed and jumped after her, plunging into the muddy murky water. Laughing and choking, Chihiro paddled in the terribly cold and filthy pond as her crazy-ass friend broke through the surface beside her.

" _S-shit!_ My phone _!"_

Scrambling with her pocket Michi threw her hand high above the water, holding her Sidekick high as she awkwardly treaded water one handed.

Still laughing like she meant it, feeling so light hearted she almost floated up into the pouring sky, Chihiro headed for shore.

"C'mon, you dope. Let's get cleaned up and go out."

"Really?!" Michi followed, looking like a sea monster with her weedy green hair trailing on the surface behind her, "Where y'wanna go?"

"Anywhere you want."

* * *

 **HAKU**

Darkness crowded the stairwell behind Haku.

Already unnerved Haku looked over his shoulder and watched Tomoe float down behind him like a disembodied head. But the pitch black that brought Haku to a halt was short lived. At once the glow from earlier began again with a vengeance as moss and fungi growing on the shaggy interior of the tree began to glow. Brilliant greens, saturated blues, ruddy oranges and fuchsias emitted their light in powerful pulses that they grew stronger with every step down he took. These lights were far more beautiful that anything the Ward of Ginza had to offer.

"C'mon!" The cat's voice echoed from below.

A blast of crisp clean air surged around him like a crashing tide only to suck back down trying to drag him with it. Exhilarated and revived by the pull of his element, Haku followed as more wind hit him from the sides, breathing through the trunk. Splits formed in the walls, spiraling wider and wider until the roots of the pine broke apart into a cage that buttressed round the stone stairs that continued to spiral down into thin air.

The bowl of a colossal cavern domed around him.

It was so huge at once Haku felt as it he had shrunk to the size of a flea.

Never before had he felt so very insignificant.

In the bowl of its bell lay a city unlike anything he had ever before seen. Pulsing in the gloom like the luminescent plants filling the tree trunk, the town blushed and through plumes of smoke lifting off the beetle black tile roofs. Like the blooming mushroom cap the town built up on itself, lifting in concentric walled rings that built up into a castle of sorts. Spreading out of the tower was a tangle of roots so thick they could not have fit through the subway tunnels. The roots held up the stone ceiling in a bolstering lattice of spreading arches. These were rittled with the columnar bodies of joined and joining stalagmites and stalactites. Some were made of crystal, full of fractured light, glittering like faceted diamonds hundreds of times taller than the pine snag. More luminescent fungus carpeted the dome, filling the dark with bands of multicolored constellations akin to the stars above ground.

As if the world above was flooding muddy brown water poured from the broken points of pillars, filling the air with falling misting veils. Another thrilling wind blew off of the cataracts so steeped in magic Haku shuddered violently as it snatched at his cloak, pulling it tight around his neck and making his eyes water behind his mask. The pouring rivers built into gushing in torrents as they dashed on the stones around the edges of the cavern, plunging down into a great rushing river that ran all around the thick bulwark encircling the town.

No bridges crossed the foaming black torrents save for two. It lay at the end of a wide cobbled road that ran like a ribbon past the base of the stair. Far on the other side of the cavern he could see another rut through the obscuring spray. It disappeared into a great cascading curtain of white water. In the opposite direction there was a similar wall of churning water. Turning his eyes back to the road below, Haku studied the rut. It was carved into the cobbles so deep and wide he would have sunk completely out of sight should he step into its span. This he considered curiously until Cinna shouted from below. She stood beneath a stone torii gate that stood at the base of the stairs, waist deep in a field of shriveled blackened weeds.

"Tha's _Shitamachi!_ " (1) She stabbed a claw at the city, "Tha's where we's goin'!"

"What manner of town is this?!" Haku breathed.

Staring at the vista he found himself filled with uncommon awe. Never before had he looked on the world of the Gods with such admiration. But these eyes were new to him and they were eager to see. So distracted was Haku that Tomoe's answered took him by surprise.

"This cavern is one of seven that have been here since before the Gods."

Throwing his attention over his shoulder Haku once again found the ghost on the step behind him with his shadowed robes snatched up into the wind; the body beneath looked real enough thanks to the dark.

"In the old days the Edokko Kami (2) could be found above and below. Just as humans connect their cities with tunnel trains so the Gods connected their caverns with the Great Wheel. It is said its passing caused the above to shake so badly that the humans built a series temples beneath its path in hopes of quelling the restless ground."

Tomoe pointed a gloved hand at the deep rut that had given Haku pause, making him glance back to study the oval shadows behind the curtains of water. These must be the tunnels leading to other cavern cities.

"When will it pass?" Haku demanded curiously, eager to see such a sight.

"It will not." Tomoe returned with sharp finality, "The Wheel no longer turns."

Haku came up short, "What do you mean it no longer turns!?"

"Shitamatchi is the last of the cavern cities. The tunnels are filled with forgotten things. No one ventures there, not even Gods."

Haku was aghast. What could have possibly brought six Gods Cities to an end!?

"W-what happen?!"

"When humans rained fire on Tokyo the Edokko Kami took refuge in the caverns and sealed off the portals. Okesa and I were not able to cross before they closed the way. The Gods sealed the caverns so that none of the evils from above could find their way below. It was a futile cause."

Behind Kaonashi's mask Tomoe's jet eyes were more than grim. They grew hollow in the dark until the ghost echoed with unnerving melancholy as he gazed overhead at the stone ceiling.

"There was already evil enough in the hearts of the Edokko. You have seen what sorrow and hatred do to the Gods. One by one the caverns succumbed to their suffering. Shitamachi itself was almost lost. They were forced to reopen the way to the mortal world or else cease to exist. Gods come and go now, but only here."

" _Neh!?"_

Haku jumped as Cinna called from sourly. He was so caught up in Tomoe's story he had forgotten the cat was waiting for them.

"Y'done wit yer ghost stories?!" She threw back hotly, " _C'mon!_ "

Haku shrank against the roots as Tomoe glided past, making him shiver. Eschewing the stairs, Haku leapt down into the black weeds riding the tail of one of the cavern winds. The vegetation gave beneath his feet with brittle crunching that put his teeth on edge. And Haku had to run to catch up with the cat. She melted ahead of them out of the dry plants and onto the windswept cobbles of the wide weathered road. With great interest Haku peered into the gloomy rut only to find it full of rushing gurgling water. Haku came up short as Cinna rounded right into his face.

"Let's put down some rules, neh?" she hissed beneath her breath, "No talkin' t'nobody when we's in town. Y'stay wit me an' y'stay quiet, _got it?"_

Haku blinked rapidly, stymied by her sudden qualifications.

"But you said I would be able to speak to someone of curses!"

" _This ain't no backwoods camp, y'dummy!_ " With bristled tail and bared teeth the cat jabbed him in the chest with her finger so sharply the razor tip of her claw pricked his bare skin. "Y'can't jus' run yer lip at anythin' witchy lookin' else you'll end up missin' ah limb! When we git's t'The Sparrow's Nest aye'll talk to Pops an' see who's best 'round here t'see 'bout that. _Me_ , not yeh, _got it_?!"

With a chill Haku recoiled, because for a moment he caught a glimpse of the stranger in the cat's blood red eyes. Already off kilter, he slipped on the edge to the rut and almost fell in. Effortlessly Tomoe caught him by the arm, hauling him back to his feet. Pushing up Kaonashi's mask to reveal his face the ghost's dark eyes fell heavily on the cat.

"Be gentle, Iihito!" It was the first time Haku could recall hearing the ghost speak so sharply to Cinna, "This place will not show us any such kindness!"

The cat shrank beneath his disapproval.

"Sorry… S'been a long time since aye's been back, aince afore aye even met yeh. Bein' back's s'got me off." Turning away she began chewing one of her claws, "M'glad yeh's 'ere. Y'always did keep me square, neh?"

But as she turned for the road Tomoe took her hand, pulling her to a stop.

"Iihito," He went brittle with reluctance, "I can go no further as I am."

"S'not funny… C'mon!"

Her face furrowed deeply with confusion and as she tugged he resisted.

"They will see in me only what Kaonashi is. They will refuse you because of it," The ghost explained unhappily, "Iihito… I must change back."

Cinna threw down his hands, eyes dilated as every hair on her body stood up.

"No!" She growled low in her throat, shrinking as Tomoe reached for her.

"I have already spoken to Kaonashi," The ghost continued in a rush, "He will wait here. He will not abandon Nigihayami-sama. We can trust him, Iihito."

" _No!"_ She stamped her foot, flattening her ears stubbornly while appealing to him with pleading red eyes, "Y'stay jus' t'way y'are! Ain't gonna loose yeh again!"

Tomoe fell perfectly still, ceasing to reach as his ivory face grew calm.

"You have never lost me, Iihito, nor shall you ever. But I will not let that fear keep you from the things you must do."

At once the ghost bent with a pained gasp, clutching his stomach.

" _No!"_ Cinna shrieked, scrambling for him as he dropped onto his knees, _"No, y'domb ghost!"_

Haku caught the cat, hauling her back as the unfortunate visage of Kaonashi's mask swallowed Tomoe's face. At once the Gaki's beetle black body swelled beneath the ghost's filmy robes, spasming and writhed, tearing up the stones as it bulged and heaved. With a moaning belch Kaonashi reared back. A massive mouth split his body, revealing huge buck teeth and a lashing tongue as the gaki coughed up the shamisen, spitting it high into the air.

With wide eyes locked onto the instrument, Cinna ripped herself from Haku's grasp and coiled at his feet like a spring. Again awe struck him still as between slim slivers of seconds the cat defied gravity, leaping high, catching Tomoe effortlessly. Landing beside him like a bit of dandelion fluff, Cinna cradled the black and red lacquered shamisen as if were the most precious thing in the world. To the cat it was.

"S'okay, koiibito," she hushed, hugging it close and planting a kiss on the bridge, "Aye's gonna git y'body back soon, aye promise!"

Pulling off her tatter cloak Cinna wrapped the shamisen tightly in the shadow of her own soul, slinging him across her back. The instrument plinked and hummed as if chiding the cat when she spared a dour glare for Kaonashi. Thin and transparent again, the wheezing Gaki teetered to his feet. The poor creature glanced around wringing his hands, obviously afraid. But Cinna offered Kaonshi no kindness. Without a word she turned for town at a ground devouring pace. Torn and uncertain, Haku gaped between them then hurried after the cat.

"Ah!" Kaonashi cried pitifully from behind them, " _Ah!_ "

Glancing back Haku found the Gaki was following them closely, reaching as if begging them to slow as if afraid to be left behind, as if begging them to slow. Mercilessly Cinna quickened her pace, because the very ground beneath Haku's feet had taken on a menacing countenance. And as they approached the outer walls seemed to grower taller and thicker until they loomed overhead, casting a shadow in the already dark cavern. Even in spite of the breath howling off the river, the chill air became foul with the stink of rotting burning things. Drums and music still sounded distantly, but from time to time, above every distant cackle and laugh, a shrill shriek sounded. Haku flinched as one echoed from the other side of the wall so close he half expected someone to go tearing under the wide open gate with their hair on fire. The dark streets beyond remained empty as the sound ceased.

Now wearing her mask and the black gi she had worn while serving Mother Tanuki, Cinna came to a stop at the foot of the bridge where the rut-river plunged down into a wide gap that showed the hissing choppy water of the river below. A fierce wind blew through the fissure, making her hair whip round her face. The reason she waited became apparent as a pair of dogs emerged from the standard stations halfway cross on either side of the bridge, blocking the way through the wide open gate. Muscles bulged beneath their fur and they walked on two legs wearing lacquered armor and slatted helmets. A mark of office clearly emblazoned on the breastplates; the mon (3) was made of an inverted tree whose roots supported a giant seven spoked wheel. Each soldier was equipped with a silver tipped spear, eyeing them suspiciously over the flashing point.

Upon seeing Cinna one of the guards, a shorthair with a black spot over his left eye, bared yellowed teeth, letting a line of spittle dribble down his chin. His wall-eyed gaze made it clear the creature held little intelligence inside his thick square skull.

"Look, Dai… A _cat_!" The dog guard growled, "I _hate_ cats!"

"Shut up, Kam!" The second guard snapped, proving himself alpha as his companion cowed. This kami was brown with a pointed snout to match his alert ears. The guard's black eyes were just as pointed at they looked them over without hurry. Snuffling audibly, the alpha snorted, pulling his lips back into a derisive sneer no less threatening.

"Y'stink like top side… Especially _you_!"

Dai pointed right at Haku with his spear.

"S'cause we's been top side," Cinna shot back pertly, stepped in front of him and throwing her hip out saucily, "Cun we cross 'r' not!?"

"We don' allow gaki," The second in command pointed his spear at Kaonashi.

" _Tch!_ Since when?!"

"Since all the trouble started up in the Ueno tunnel."

Kam began as if glad to argue only to cut off and cow as Dai slammed the butt of his spear against the cobbles. The primary glared viciously at his partner, making it clear that information was not to be shared. Haku looked on with silent curiosity, baffled by everything he saw.

Cinna lashed her tail, "Aye's tellin' yeh, 'e ain' _gaki_!"

"Looks an' smells it t'me." Dai answered firmly.

"Know wot this looks an' smells like t'me?"

Cinna held up the pouch of false gold, shaking it like a diner bell. Kam's eyes went wide but Dai did not rise to the bait.

" _I said no gaki!"_

Haku held his breath as the alpha's bark resounded off the walls.

"Ah-ah…?" Kaonashi appealed timidly, shrinking from the dog's spear but reaching out to tug on her sleeve, obviously not wanting her to go.

"We's gonna come back, ghostie," she muttered without taking her red eyes from the guards, "Jus' sit tight till we do, got it?"

"Ah…"

Shrinking back Kaonashi stood on the sloping cobbles and looking at them just as forlornly as he had when standing in the middle of the bridge leading to the Bath House. Sick to his stomach at the thought of leaving the ghost behind, Haku could only watch as he faded away into nothing.

"You coming across or not!?" Dai barked again, lifting the point of his spear.

"Here kitty, kitty, kitty!" Kam taunted with a lewd guffaw.

Cinna turned lethal red eyes on the dog. She came up short as Haku caught her by the belt. Firmly keeping her in his grip, Haku towed the cat across the bridge. Together they passed beneath the front gate of Shitamachi and into the realm of the Gods.

* * *

 **Notes:**

(1) Shitamatchi (下町 lit. trans. low city) is the slummy side of old Edo which is located in the marshy sea basin at the base of the hilly Yamanote area. Yamanote (山の手 lit. trans. towards the mountain) is the ritzier side of town as it is located above the flood plain. Tokugawa vassals of the warrior caste lived in the hilly Yamanote, which includes (Aoyama where Chihiro now lives), whereas lower castes like merchants and artisans lived in the marshy areas near the sea. As the turn of phrase goes, "shit flows downhill," hence the geographic situation of the two groups. Both of these regions still exist today and there a strong civic affiliation and pride surrounding the areas.

(2) Edokko is the name for people hailing from the region. It's much the same a Seattlites are from Seattle, or Los Angeleans are from Los Angeles.

(3) Mon is the Japanese word for a crest. It indicates affiliation with a house or body of office. Samurai will wear their family mon or the mon of the lord they serve.


	12. Chapter 12

**HAKU**

Haku did not look up as the guard's attention weighed on him heavily.

He did, however, glance back in surprise at the living portcullis.

The thing was hidden inside the outer walls; a bristling blot of black that shifted uncomfortably as if it cared not for its quarters. It glared at them with the shifting points of its many dour blood-shot eyes. Haku had never seen such a kami and had Cinna not pushed him from behind, pulling when he resisted, he would have turned back to question it. At once baffled by the peculiar strength of his curiosity, Haku startled, glancing overhead through the smoky glare of the flotilla of red lanterns as something leathery winged its way overhead.

Bats! A group of males crossed over the street in a flock of brightly colored kimono, alighting on the roofs of the storefronts. The wide avenue was choked with land bound kami and hordes of leering males of every race congregated in front of slate-fronted stores that spilled more glowing red light into the cobbled street. Haku learned why as Cinna wove her way between the horned oni and scaled lizards riding enormous shelled beetles. Their buzzing wings nearly knocked him from his feet. Lewd calls and laughter carried over the din, because beneath the lascivious glow of the lanterns groups of spider women wore kimono that made poor Usagi's look modest! The red and black of the garments were pulled low on their many arms, leaving their creamy white shoulders and long legs completely bare! Utterly shocked, he stared as one danced to music played by sisters, beckoning customers with her shifting body in such a suggestive manner blood flooded his face!

Hastily Haku looked away, taking greater care as he found himself sprinting along the edge of the rut once more. Once inside the walls the deep rut began again. And he recoiled, finding it full of shadowy creeping things. With chittering scuttling noises the obviously unfriendly beings scrambled at the steep edges, snapping and reaching at him with their insectorous appendages. But they could not climb free. Glancing at them again and again as uncertainty swarmed the depths of his gut, Haku pressed close to the cat. Yellow and red eyes winked from within with unnerving acuity until Cinna veered off the main street. Together they plunged beneath a broken stone torii gate into a narrow alley choked with from stones to eaves with sage purple smoke. What first Haku took to be piles of burning trash infested with rodents and other vermin turned out to be Gods so swathed in rags and filth he could barely recognize them. All breathed and expelled great clouds of sickly sweet smoke from their glowing pipes, glassy eyed and oblivious to them or any of the wretched creatures stacked like firewood on framework that reach up high into the mind-numbing cloud.

Coughing and wheezing, Haku gasped for air as they burst from the cloud onto another wider street festooned and shaded by tents and stalls. At once they were assaulted on all sides by hawkers proffering their wares. All swallowing eyes, wide mouths and teeth, these kami exuded greed so thick it oiled the stones beneath his feet. They thrust at him bottles full of weakly stirring mushi; caged squawking furred and feathered creatures; jars of scrambling insects and other fettered lesser beings until through the thicket of umbrella posts he saw in the distance faces staring at him through a wall of bars. It took him a moment to see the shackles on the wrists and ankles of these kami shrouded in gloom. Still and silent, they stood in droves beneath signs painted with bright and gaudy prices.

Stunned by the sight, he would have stopped to stillness right there had Cinna not hauled him along, whipping him round and once more into the forest of smoky leaning buildings. Winding their way between thick festoons of ropy spider webs stained with blots of brown and tangled with knots too large to be coincidence. Haku came up short with Lin's blade in his hand as a scream sounded directly behind him. Without looking back Cinna fled faster dragging him in her wake. Though his arm nearly wrenched from the socket, what possessed him to look back Haku would never know. He saw it clearly, something huddled and twitching on the ground. It dragged away into the smoky shadows leaving a long smear of bright fresh blood. Near to faint from the suddenly thunderous pumping inside his head Haku turned and ran so quickly he overtook the cat.

Again they spun, turning at the base of an inclined slope that angled up beneath another enormous stone torii gate. This one was whole and draped with an enormous shinegawa still crackling with protective magic. It was obviously meant to keep what was below from venturing up to the next level. By some miracle they passed beneath and the road circled the swelling earth to his right. Slowly they climbed out of the horrors in the lowest level of what could only be hell, rising above the choking smoke and filthy tiled roofs. A branch of the Root Castle was visible directly overhead, casting a heavy shadow as they came to a second station post at another gated wall. Another dog barred the way with a bannered spear, this time a sandy female with a curling brush of a tail. There was a touch of red in her fur that belied the fox in her shrewdly angled eyes.

"State your business in the second level!"

"We's goin' t' The Sparrow's Nest." Cinna threw back in a hiss.

The Soldier's fierce gaze searched their masks and founding them lacking.

"Ha!" The guard barked cruelly, advancing on them as if ready to chase, "You couldn't afford it even if you sold _him_!"

She jabbed him in the shoulder with the butt of her spear, catching him off guard. At once Haku's quaking legs folded, sending him to a seat on cobbles at the fox-dog's feet. Because he could not go back into the below; the thought alone made him violently ill to the point of loosing what little food they had managed to find these past days. So Haku bowed; he bowed with great formality as if the guard was the Goddess herself.

" _Please!"_ He beseeched, "By O-Inari-sama mercy, _please_ let us pass!"

Haku looked up to find the guard pale with shock.

There was something in her yellow eyes. What was it?

He would never know because quickly she stood aside and threw her hand at the open road beyond another shinegawa wrapped torii gate as if not trusting herself to speak. Yanking him up off the ground and half carrying him with the frozen bar of her arm clamped around his waist, Cinna hurtled them forward. After that Haku saw nothing save for the cobbles passing beneath his feet until it felt as if they were rushing still even through they had come to a stop.

Somewhere close and shaded the cat lower him onto stones carpeted with green what could have been velvet. Ripping back his mask Haku turned on hands and knees and vomited in the gutter. Huddled with his clammy forehead pressed against the softness of the moss he jolted as cold hands touched him. Again it was Cinna. She was crouched beside him wordlessly offering a broken tea cup filled with murky water. Gratefully he rinsed his mouth; sparing a glance down the passage pressed so narrow between the two buildings they appeared to share the same roof. The walls were covered in more moss that let out a dull glow, tingeing the perpetual gloom with emerald light.

The cat folded up beside him until she was peering over his shoulder, looking off into the street beyond the alley's mouth. Haku followed her gaze to a respectable looking inn made stout wood and thatched straw. At its pinnacle was a second story surrounded by a veranda of paper sliders drawn and rattling in the wind. The house was so old the stones of its foundation were wrapped by the swelling roots growing out of the hillside on which it was perched. These tangles had been trained up into a living torii gate, marking the entrance to the front door. Glowing mushrooms with red caps lit the path and steps. Murmuring voices and clinking glasses sounded in the distance. Smoke drifted from the flue in an ambling curl carrying delicious smells towards them on a cold draft of wind.

No lascivious red lanterns.

No hordes of lustful Gods.

No blood or death.

But as if frightened her more than any of the horrors they had passed in the first level, Cinna stared at the inn with eyes so dilated they had gone black

"Tha's t' Sparrow's Nest," She hushed, lowering her face to hide in his arm.

Baffled by her sudden reluctance, Haku found his voice hoarse.

"I… I thought you said help was to be found here?!"

"There is." Her reply was muffled in his cloak.

"Then why are you so frightened!?"

"'Cause tha's where aye grew up… Tha's where aye learned how t'dance,"

Apparently this place held no happy memories.

Surfacing from his shoulder, Cinna was on her feet hauling him up.

"C'mon."

A chill climbed up Haku's spine as they broke out of the alley into the exposed street. Sparing a glance up and down the avenue he found the rest of the store of similar repute to the inn. A block print shop plastered with large posters of wrestling frogs stood beside a tea house frequented by a score of chattering black rabbits as the brown mouse proprietress bustled around her customers in an orange yukata carrying a tray of white and gold sweets. Across from the women, fanning himself with one of the folding fan set out on his tables, a turtle in a happi coat dozed in the endless twilight. Children laughed and squealed in the distance followed shortly by motherly scolding.

Haku stared down the street as Cinna dragged him behind her, skirting the inn's fence till they turned down another moist dark alley. At the back of the Sparrow's Nest was a pen comprised of lashed bamboo. Inside were piles of trash leaned against the sheer granite wall lifting up until it met the face of the Third Level wall. The warren piles were crawling with ants and centipedes so huge they could have easily pulled a cart! Their slick red shells glistened wetly as with chittering squeals the insects fled back into their dens. Cinna paid them no heed as she hurried up the bald cypress steps to a narrow porch set against a sheer back wall. Overhead frosted glass windows peered down at them curiously as a humming exhaust fan labored away. From within came the rattling clinking clattering sounds of cooking. And such smells issued through every nook and cranny of the inn Haku went weak with hunger.

As if she belonged the cat pushed up her mask until it disappeared, knocking loudly on the blistered back door. Curiously peering over her shoulder Haku eyed the score of wooden clogs crowding the shelves tucked under the eve to either side of the door. Glancing overhead he found the frame encircled entirely by a thick rice rope bristling with rustling shide. With a gusty sigh the cat pounded on the door as no answer came, making the geta jostle and knock about on their shelves.

"By the rust of the Wheel!" An old man thundered from somewhere in the distance as things smashed and clattered, "Will someone get the _bloody_ door?!"

Shrinking behind the cat, Haku tried to hide as the slider suddenly whisked open. On the threshold stood a young spider woman in a modest cream kimono embroidered by a splash of glowing fireflies that chased and buzzed across her swinging sleeves. Her hair was done up in the gilded lobes of an antique style and her face was painted white and pink. She held trays upon trays of mouth watering food with her many dainty hands as she looked out at them dismissively.

"We don' feed beggars no more!"

Cinna caught the door before it could slam in their faces.

"We's here t'see Pops!"

"An' why'd Pops wanna see _yah_!?" The spider snipped haughtily.

Haku's lips twitched. Their brogue was almost identical save their _yehs_ and _yahs_.

"Jus' tell Pops Okesa's 'ere t'see 'im!" The cat spat back while lashing her tail.

With an indignant moue the spider withdrew amidst the constellation of her many hands, shouting over her shoulder more than rudely, " _Oi, Pops!_ Some beggars're here t'see yah!"

"We ain't _beggars_!" Cinna stamped her foot with a furious hiss.

"I'm _blind_ ," The angry old man from earlier shouted back, "Not _deaf_!"

And something was already shuffling along the wide hall inside, filling the passage in its entirety with its shaggy bulk so that the spider hand to clamber up the wall and through the rafter to pass. A huge mole with dappled gray fur to match his wood smoke beard shuffled into the doorway, snuffling at the air with his bald pink snout as the thick yellowed claws of his massive paws curled around the frame with incongruous delicacy. He wore a brick red apron at odds with his lichen colored kimono. It could have been woven from the moss in the alley opposite the inn. Again and again he snuffled the air, turning his head this way and that, because the eyes behind the dark glasses perched on his nose were milky white.

"Okesa?" The mole hushed in frustration, snuffling again, "Where are you!? I hear you but cannot smell you. _Blast it!_ It stinks of nothing but _rain_!"

"M'here, Pops," Cinna put her hands on his massive paws.

A jolt went through the mole at the contact that sent the doorframe shuddering as the kami rocked back and forth within it. Haku withdrew onto the porch with a wary eye to the strength of the walls.

"My Gods… It really is you!"

The mole breathed as if he did not believe it, gently clasping her tiny hands in the swallowing press of his claws. But again the old kami sniffed and snorted, lifting blind eyes over the cat's head.

"Is someone else there?"

"Y-yes…?" Haku stammered, at a loss for what else to say.

"Who is this, Okesa?" The mole muttered suspiciously before lifting his nose into the air. As he did the kami opened a mouth that rivaled even Kaonashi's, revealing bucked front teeth stained brown, "I cannot smell him over that _bloody_ stink of rain!"

"E's ah friend," Cinna returned reassuringly.

"Then he must come in as well! Come in! Come in both of you!"

Lumbering backwards, the mole folded up into the house, making way for them. Haku followed until the cat glanced back as him sourly waving a claw at his feet. Hot in the face he kicked off his too tight shoes, glad to have his toes free as he shoved them into the cubbies, hurrying to follow after pulling the sliding door shut.

The narrow hall immediately opened up into a monstrous atrium that lifted through billowing curls of smoke up two stories to a ceiling of vaulted vents. This kitchen dwarfed Onsen as the implements were meant to fit the hunger of the Gods. So huge were the woks, grills, kettles, and pots they could have easily stewed the mole whole. Shelves lined the walls with clear glass jars as tall as he; these were stuffed with every hue and shade of spice Haku could imagine. The only one he had seen even larger was the Bath House's colossal kitchen. Hastily he turned away from those memories, nervously eyeing the cutting block covered by the gaping carcasses of a fish so huge it could have swallowed him whole. Another shank of ribs and bloody red flesh lay next. Given his earlier encounter Haku did not care to know what manner of creature it was.

Glancing under the beams through the smoke from the hearth, he peered at the thick rows of long curtains partitioned off the kitchen from another hall. Bare white feet and whipping kimono hems darted back and forth beneath those curtains, beating a tempo in keeping with the murmuring voices and laughter drifting in from the restaurant beyond. And only when the massive pile of dishes listing in the center of the bald cypress floor moved did Haku realized it was a God. Watching them askance with sake cup eyes was an enormous human shaped kami made of stacked and tiled bowls, tea pots, plates, platters, spoons, and every other manner of tableware (1). Chipped and broken in places, the living china cabinet wore a red apron to match the mole's. He moved about with such acuity his porcelain body hardly made a sound.

"Neh, Pops?" Cinna shrunk from the china creature, eyeing his knife fingers, "Yer dishes is… uh… _movin'!_ "

"That's Taisho," The mole waved his hand dismissively, "He just sprouted up one day when one of those stupid spiders overturned a box of porcelain. What a blessing he is! I haven't been able to cook much these days and Taisho has such a knack for it. He makes the best Chinese food I've had in years."

At the mention of food Haku's stomach let out such a despairing wail of hunger Pop's booming laughter echoed up into the rafters. Still laughing and leaning heavily on a tree trunk of a cane, the mole shuffled over to the tatami mat tucked into the corner.

"Bring something to eat for our guests, Tiasho!"

Easing down into a mountainous cushion beside the equally huge plain of a table, the mole leaned back against the wall with a sigh. At once loosing his previous misgivings, the shifting plates bowed and motioned them to a seat before turning to work at the hearth. Silently watching the cook work with all eyes on his soon to be meal, Haku sat beside the cat and nearly disappeared beneath the lip of the mole's table. Stuffing the bone cup of a long spindly pipe he produced from his sleeve, the mole held it out to the hearth. A wisp of blue Godfire zipped from the embers, happily hunkering down in the dried herbs until gouts of smoke started up from the ivory mouth. Pulling on the other end until coils of haze issued from his nose, Pop turned his sightless gaze onto the cat.

"Where have you been these nearly hundred years, Okesa?" The mole's archaic patterns of speech grew sharp with unhappiness; as if he was still upset with the cat for leaving, "I searched for you when they sealed the stairs but none has seen you! I feared you were one of the many lost to the Great War!"

"Aye tried t'come back bu' t'ways wuz closed," Cinna shot back diffidently, "Aye'm back now, ain' aye!?"

"So you are… So you are…"

The mole replied broodingly, slowly retreating into himself as if meditating. Something in his distant tone made Haku nervous. He watched the mole cagily as the fellow pulled on his pipe at regular intervals until the cat stood up and snatched it from his fingers, helping herself to the tobacco as she lazed on her cushion.

"Ye's broodin', Pops," she blew a perfect smoke ring, "Aintcha happy t'see me?"

Her brazenness seemed to shake the mole awake. Just then Taisho appeared carrying two steaming bowls of meat and rice. These smelled strongly of tangy ginger, tart oranges, and spicy chili. Each was finished with green onion so thinly sliced it looked like translucent green paper.

"Itadakimas!" Haku breathed in wonder.

Pushing up his mask and mindful to keep his face in shadow, Haku brought the bowl to his mouth and was glad for the spoon. Oh, but it was delicious! Food was such a joy he had never before appreciated.

"This is delicious, Taisho-san! Thank you!"

As if not used to being thanked the stack of cracked dishes and bowls clinked, shifting uncomfortably before going back to the hearth and taking up cooking as if he would never stop. Haku caught him glancing at his bowl from time to time as if ready to come over and refill it at a moment's notice.

"Your friend is very polite, Okesa."

Glancing at the mole, Haku shrank from the blind God's intense scrutiny.

"Yeah?" The cat lashed her tail while handing back the old kami's pipe, turning instead to wolfing down her meat, "Well 'e's ah pain in t'arse, too!"

"Where are you from, stranger? I can tell from your words you're not from Edo."

Haku nervously glanced at Cinna, appealing for instruction as the cat had told him not to speak to anyone and let her do so in his stead. Unfortunately the cat thoroughly occupied by licking her empty bowl. At once she was on her feet, bringing her bowl back to the living plates and dishes, holding it out like a begging monk.

"Neh, Taisho?" She wheedled, "Cun aye has some more?"

Startled by the cat's appearance the Dish God shrank out of the way as she snooped over his stove, picking up pot lids and poking her nose into ever skillet and wok, sniffing and sampling.

"Mmmm! That's good! Cun aye has some o' tha'?"

She jabbed her finger at one of the score of bubbling pots. As if unsure of what else to do, Taisho began ladling the contents into her proffered bowl.

"More," she coached, "Jus' ah bit more, neh?"

"Heh-heh! She hasn't changed at all." Pop's laughed beneath his breath.

Once again the mole's eerie gaze rounded on him.

At a loss for what else to do, Haku told the truth.

"My place of birth was destroyed by humans," He returned quietly, "But I found a place where I was welcomed. That is where I met Okesa."

"You were a river, weren't you?" Pops let out a long breath clouded by smoke, "That explains your smell."

Startled by the mole's sharp observance, Haku took what was offered so he would not be forced to lie. Though the mole could not see his face, he was sure that should he lie the old kami would know it. Gods could not lie, but humans could. That would have been more than enough to tip the creature's suspicions.

"They cut down the trees on the mountain who was my mother. They tore her down and used her body to fill me in. Then they covered us in concrete, smothering us in roads and… and _apartments!_ "

Haku blinked, started by the old anger that burned in him still. At once the mole's wizened face drew into sympathetic lines, abandoning whatever misgivings he might had harbored before. And he heaved a sigh, growing troubled as he knocked out the ashes of his pipe into a bowl on an adjacent shelf.

"I am sorry for your loss, stranger. Unfortunately I am not sure I can offer you any hope in this place either. Why she brought you here I cannot fathom."

What other chance would he get?

"Okesa said you might know someone versed in the art of curses?"

"Curses?" Pop sat back with a sharp frown, "Child, this whole world is _cursed!_ "

"Please!" Haku pressed as desperation came bleeding through his every word, "I seek a means to a very difficult end."

Pops tugged his beard as his gray brows drew into ravines over his dark glasses.

"Try Bah-Fu. The old bat has a fortune shop by the temple on the Third Level. It'll be difficult. If you can get to her be careful. Her words cost more than gold."

Here the old kami came up short as the cat returned with two heaping bowls of fish, foul, rice, soup and whatever else could be found on Taisho's stoves.

"Neh, Pops, cun we stay ah bit?" She tossed her request as if it were a trifle, "E's useless, bu' aye'll work fer us both. Promise won' be no trouble like aye wuz a'fore."

Haku blinked. Trouble? What trouble?

Apparently there was history indeed, because at once the mole went quiet, pulling on his wispy beard as his already worried face drew into dark dour lines.

"Before you ask you should know _she_ is mistress of this house now."

Cinna's chopsticks stopped midway between her bowl and mouth. She dropped the piece of meat back into her bowl as her hands began to shake. Putting them down, she bent gripping the lip of table. Curls of wood started from the surface as she sank her claws deep, growling low in her throat as her tail bristled three times its size, lashing back and forth. Haku shrank from her as the murderous look returned to her bloody eyes.

" _She's_ still 'ere?!"

She: the cat spat the word like it was poison.

Who was this terrible _she_ they spoke of? Haku was not sure he wanted to meet her. At once the kitchen grew dark and quiet as the Mole and the cat glowered off into respective corners. Baffled and lost, Haku could only watch and listen in hopes of understanding. He did not wait long for Pops began again in a low voice simmering with long withheld anger.

"After everything that happened somehow that _whore_ spider devised a way to marry my dim-witted brother! How she managed it I'll never know. Marriages between levels are strictly forbidden!"

"This is my house more so than it ever was my brothers!" He hammered the table top with his fist, "But _she_ has this place overrun with her sisters! Sparrow's Nest?! _Ha!_ Try _spider's_ nest! That lot has the fool so thoroughly wrapped up in their web he hardly recognizes me anymore! It won't be long before _she_ convinces him to send me away or _worse_!"

They were interrupted as a different spider women in a fushia kimono painted with green peonies pushed her way between the curtains carrying piled dirty plates. Theses she dumped onto the floor without remorse, not even bothering to stack them.

"Oi, Taisho!" She shouted at the dish God imperiously, "Aye need lemon chicken, broccoli beef, an' imperial pork fer ah party o' nine. Make i' quick, neh!?

"Get out, Numa!" Pops snarled, in front of them with shocking swiftness, blocking them with his enormous frame, "You are not permitted in my kitchen!"

"Ain't yor kitchen, old man!" She hissed back, baring sharp teeth, "We's short staffed an' aye's gotta get done wit' servin' so aye cun git ready! We's dancin' tonight an' wouldn' yeh _love_ t'watch?"

Numa wiggled her long body suggestively, sticking out her tongue and making rude gestures with her many hands knowing the mole could not see. But Taisho saw. He slammed one of the pots onto the burners loudly, making the spider jump.

"Wot's yor problem, eh?!"

Taisho conjured one of the dishes from the spider's feet, making it shatter around her bare toes. With a shriek she recoiled furiously.

"Yor gonna pay for tha', y'stupid dish heep!"

" _I said out!"_ Pops thundered, slamming his walking stick against the floorboards.

"Aye's goin'! Aye's goin'!"

Before she did the spider saw the cat from the corner of her eye.

With a piercing shriek the waitress sprang into the rafters as if afraid of being chased, hanging upside down and continuing to scream atop her lungs. Shuddering and clamping dish palms over the sides of his bottle head, Taisho stamped his foot, summoning the dishes from the floor and hurling them at the spider.

"Oneh-san!" She ducked and dived among the rafters, " _Oneh-san!"_

" _Get out!"_ Pops roared over her, _"I said get out!"_

At once the curtains ripped aside as another spider came thundering into the kitchen. Her dressed hair was piled so high and festooned so heavily with turtle shell pins, bells, and foil flowers it was a wonder she could keep her head upright! The many sleeves of her heavily padded purple kimono were embroidered with layer after layer of gold and silver cobwebs, which flashed brightly beneath her wide obi of red and black hour-glasses. Four eyes glared from a painted face that might have been beautiful save the cruelty glinting on the razors edge of her crimson irises as she glared up into the rafters. Already on his feet beside Cinna, Haku slid his mask in place and found the cold hilt of Hanoane beneath his tatter cloak. Because these were the eyes of a creature that had killed and would gladly do so again.

"Get down from there!" She snarled, "What at the mess you've made!"

"Look, sister!" The smaller spider stabbed her fingers down at them, _"Look!"_

Such a look of hatred crossed the spider's face upon seeing Cinna.

" _YOU!"_

Heedless to Pops, the spider threw out her hands, moving so quickly they were bright purple blurs. Grabbing a pot lid, Taisho blocked a thick silky rope that would have struck the mole. The silk lance punctured the metal lid by an inch, making several of the bowls comprising the Dish God's arms shatter as they absorbed the forceful impact. Just as fast was the edge of Lin's blade. Easily it sliced through the sharp spears of sticky silk the spider cast at Cinna, sending a wind ripping through the kitchen that sent living fires in the hearth guttered loudly as the spit and smoked. As if seeing him for the first time, the queen spider grazed him with the sharp edge of her dark glare.

" _Enough, Jouma!"_ The mole once again hammered his stick on the floor, making the whole room shudder, "Okesa is _my_ guest!"

"You have no say, _old man!_ I will not have _that_ in my house!" The spider bit back scathingly, baring rows of needled teeth as she paced like an animal.

"Maybe this'll change yer mind! Aye's ah payin' customer!"

Haku flinched as Cinna hurled something past his shoulder. A flash of greed overtook the fury in the spider's face as she caught the heavy pouch. Sparing two eyes and two hands to peer inside, Jouma held the rest at ready. Shocked by the contents, the spider turned all her eyes inside before yanking it closed and stuffing the pouch into one of her voluminous sleeves.

Just then another mole came shuffling through the curtains, getting tangled up in his blindness. He was as slight as his brother was stout, wearing a pale blue silk robe long in sleeve and collar of foreign make that made him look like the curling smoke still stirring around the room in swift agitation.

"What a fuss!" The little mole twittered mildly, "You know how I feel about throwing dishes; plates don't grow on trees, you two."

"Talk your _wife_ , Gichi!" Pops spat ungraciously, "She so _loves_ to throw things!"

"Jouma?" He piped while waving his hands around seekingly.

"Here, my love!" She cooed while folding around him like a cocoon, dwarfing the tiny mole, "Would you like me to play the koto for you on the veranda?"

"Oh, that would be lovely!" He exclaimed, at once distracted as he tried to pat one of her many hands but missed, "You're still going to dance tonight, yes? You know I can't see but I love to listen."

Had Haku not known any differently, he would have considered the old God senile. But he could see the pull of the spider's influence wrapped around the mole in a shimmering network of threads. And he was quite sure she could convince the kami of almost anything thanks to the work of her wiles.

"Of course, dear," Jouma patted his hand reassuringly.

In spite of her saccharine tone her sharp eyes flashed to the rafters. She jerked her head at her sister. The harried waitress spider dropped from the ceiling to hold open the curtains. Again the God woman had to bow to fit under the archway; she was quite huge. Without further comment Cinna sat and began eating with gusto.

"How can you eat at a time like this!?" Haku demanded after the spider had gone.

"'Cause aye don' know when aye gonna git t'eat again!" She shot her red eyes up at him swishing her tail, "Gonna sit 'n' help me, neh?"

Hauling him to a seat by the hem of his cloak, she shoved the second bowl at him. Sick to his stomach, Haku stared at the food with while what he had already eaten turned to lead in his gut. He flinched as Taisho pried the lance of silk from his pot lid, clanking and clattering angrily as he tossed it on the fire and went back to cooking. The range began belching black smoke as if mirroring the dish God's foul mood, consuming the tendrils of silk and transforming them into curling spirals of red ash. As if suddenly exhausted the mole sank back against the wall with a sigh, once again making the building shudder.

"Will you stay somewhere else? There is another inn down the road a short way. It is shabby and the food is horrid, but the rooms are clean."

"Only got ah day an' ah night then aye gotta go," she picked at her food, reminding Haku of the promise he had forced upon her, "An' aye'd rather spend i' here wit' yeh on t'edge o' trouble."

"Stubborn girl," the mole flashed a weary smirk, "At least between the two of us we can _really_ piss off Jouma."

Cinna flattened her ears, "S' _dumb_ t'poke ah hornet's nest, Pops."

"Isn't it?" His smirk became a grin, revealing stained teeth, "But its much fun!"

* * *

 **Notes:**

(1) This is a Seto Tiasho, literally translated ceramic general, which is a tsukumonogami comprised of discarded dishes and other kinds of tableware.


	13. Chapter 13

**LIN**

Lin opened her eyes on gray dawn and found herself alone.

Suzume would not be found on the foot of Reika' futon.

He had not yet come home since that night.

Stupid fox…

Lin, however, knew where he'd gone. After her _conversation_ with the old human Lin had gone straight to the camphor tree. She called for Suzume until she was hoarse. Sitting on the paws of the stone statue she waited all night in the rain for nothing.

Stupid, _stupid_ fox!

The only sign he left was the rice bowl she placed between the feet of the stone fox statue. Every evening for the past three days she filled the bowl and each morning it turned up empty. She knew for a fact no forest creature would come near the offerings of a God. He was there. She knew he was there. But he refused to come home. Oh, that made Lin so very angry! If he wanted to sulk that was fine, but she wasn't about to let him starve. And so while guests and Gods remained asleep, Lin crept down into the kitchen.

Still bleary eyes with sleep, Lin frowned at Usagi as she paused on the bottom step of the back stairs, half afraid she was dreaming. Proudly wearing her indigo uniform as if afraid to take it off, the rabbit woman was sitting tucked up on the celadon tiles by the placid flames nestled in the old hearth. She was reading aloud to Onsen.

"Then my lips sealed like someone had drawn a zipper over my mouth!"

Dramatically Usagi drew her hand over her face, miming the affliction. The fire shuddered, leaning towards her in anticipation, waiting for the next words. Abruptly Usagi drew in a great breath, cringing into the book as if Yubaba was in the very room.

"I pulled at my face, trying to speak! But I couldn't! I couldn't say a thing! And the witch _cackled_ through her cigarette smoke! Nya- _ha-ha-ha!"_

Lin recognized the story immediately, just as she recognized the book in the rabbit's hands. Blinking rapidly, she clambering with her obi and realized the volume was missing from her sleeve. But welling anger subsided, leaving her rooted in place as she watched the kami share the word with Onsen. It was good to see her out of Natsumi's shadow. It was good to see her at home in the house. And it was good that the rabbit had found a friend.

"Yubaba didn't laugh like that," Lin cut in mildly.

Usagi jolted straight off the, catching air as Onsen flared in the hearth, sending soot billowing through the kitchen until they were both coughing and gasping, throwing open the doors and the windows. After retreating to back porch, Lin blinked in utter confusion as Usagi folded at her feet bowing over the proffered book.

"A-apologies, Miss Lin! I t-t-took your b-book!"

She stammered just like Yoshi. It was impossible to be angry at Yoshi. The reedy frog was so sweet and well meaning. He and the rabbit had a great deal in common.

"Keep it. Onsen will rattle to pieces if you don't keep reading to her."

Eavesdropping shamelessly, the house creaked and snapped dramatically as Lin sighed in exasperation, rolling her eyes at the rafters.

"Knock it off and put the kettle on while you're at it." Lin went back inside only to have grit cake the bottom of her feet, " _Argh!_ I _just_ mopped this kitchen!"

Following her closely, Usagi hugged the book while glancing about.

"I'll clean it up right away, Miss Lin. I need to scrub the back porch anyway."

Lin wasn't about to turn down her offer. She wasn't scrubbing anything these days thanks to her stomach. Mopping was the closest she could get to the floor, which was maddening. Lin had discovered she could hook her foot through the ring on the back of a scrub brush. If she gripped the edge with her toes she could scrub the extra dirty spots. One time Natsumi caught her with her foot in the water bucket once. Before Lin could explain the old Yuna turned on her heel and let the matter lie; which was good, because Lin wasn't sure she could explain.

More than distracted, Lin wasn't thinking about all the chores that would be waiting for her as she gathered all kinds of food. She was thinking about Suzume. At least the camphor grove was warm. But the fox abhorred being wet. He was probably soaked to the bone after all the rain. As Lin tried to think of some way to construct a tent over the stone statue Usagi produced a carrying cloth, helping her tie the sling at her shoulder. At once she was headed for the back door.

"Miss L-Lin?"

Peevishly she came up short in the back doorway, "What now?!"

"Uh… O-Onsen told me all about… uh… _h-him_."

By him the rabbit meant Suzume.

At once she had Lin's attention.

Usagi had to swallow to continue, twisting and fretting with the hem of her apron.

"H-he didn't mean to hurt you, Miss! When he carried you up from the kitchen I saw h-his face. I've never seen someone so s-sorry."

Lin went stock still as Usagi continued in a rush.

"I-I wanted you to know that, M-miss…"

Gods and their secrets!

No one had told her Suzume was the one who carried her upstairs.

"Don't let the frogs sleep all day," Lin instructed crisply, "And make sure Aniyaku doesn't fall asleep at the welcome station."

"Yes, ma'am!"

Lin cringed from the rabbit's meek reply; she sounded just like Sen.

So she fled that harsh reminder into the misty beginnings of the gloomy day. It dawn so cold her breath plumed in a white banner, matching the steam drifting over the stone wall surrounding the outdoor pool. A thin layer of frost crunched beneath her feet as she crossed the fields behind Onsen. Mortal time passed so very quickly and the signs of winter's approach made Lin lift her hands to the swell of her growing stomach. It was early and the kits were still asleep. Soon they'd be scrambling about inside her, kicking each other and struggling to find room for themselves until there was no more room.

A bitter cold wind heavily laden with salt blew over the lip of the cliffs as Lin broke out of the trees onto the bare limestone. The slate gray ocean churned in the distance beneath heavy clouds. With an odd mixture of hate and apprehension plucking her insides, Lin bowed to the weathered torii atop the sea arch. Pulling two rice cakes from the bundle slung over her shoulder, Lin cautiously approached the gate. She left one of the onigiri on the weathered lichen stained offering stone carved with the Ocean Goddess' name. Reverence was a necessary thing regardless of what had happened in the past. Lin was not about to tempt the surly Ocean Goddess by showing even the slightest disrespect. She, however, left a second cake on a smaller stone to the right.

Mrs. Nikkou's attentions were obvious here.

The flatish rock was new and not yet eroded by wind of rain and rice rope with white shide was tied around the rock's waist. Lin had seen the old woman weaving the straw not long ago. Atop its face, wrapped in several Ziploc bags and weighted beneath a rock was a copy of Sen's book. There was also a metal can of some type of mortal drink and a photograph wrapped again in successive layers of plastic. The faces obscured by the film were familiar. Like his grandmother, Lin was willing to brave the cliffs to leave an offering for Hidé if only to let him know she had not forgotten him or what he'd done for them. She did, however, flinch back as an effervescent spray of salt came rushing up over the edge. The ground trembled with unnerving vibrations as waves beat against the cave riddle cliffs below.

Like a startled bird she ducked back into the forest at a sprint, slowing only as the smell of the ocean faded. Lin was so preoccupied by past troubles that she walked right by the deer. She wouldn't have seen her unless the stranger had spoken up.

"E-excuse me?" The kami called after her warily.

Thoroughly startled, Lin whirled towards the kami, reaching for her hip. The motion was so thoroughly ingrained and so completely unnecessary Lin was actually embarrassed.

"S-sorry! I didn't see you there!" Lin stammered awkwardly.

The deer woman was dressed in a kimono and quilted happi coat made of such perfectly matched dappled forest colors she all but disappeared into the underbrush. On her back was a heavily laden pack and her feet were caked with the same mud weighing the hem of her garments. There were holes cut in her wide-brimmed straw kasa (1) to accommodate her slender curving antlers and she held a walking stick so heavy it could've been a club. The way she held it made it clear it could be used as such. Peering from behind his mother's legs was a youngling dressed in similar robes. His forehead bore the barest nubs of soon to be antlers but spots still crossed the arms and body of his kimono. His dark eyes were hungry as they stared at her with voracious fear.

"What're you doing over _here_?!" Lin continued at a loss.

By _here_ she meant the mortal world. The deer was the first kami Lin seen wandering the mortal world since the Forgotten had forced refuges to the other side. The deer mother's broad solemn face was utterly exhausted. There were dark circles under her eyes at odds with her color markings.

"We come from Matsuzaki," The deer began reluctantly with a glance at her son, "Humans tore down our hill. Earth so angry we had to cross to avoid… ah… _trouble_."

Lin blinked, remembering the scared hills behind the large town north of Kumomi. So these were refugees of a different kind. Then Lin noticed Mother Deer was looking at her swollen belly. Seeing that she was pregnant the kami relaxed, leaning on her stick.

"Met a fox at the big tree. Told us about a crossing point south of here. Gave us food but disappeared before could ask for directions. Don't think much of fox advice but he lives in the tree so he has to be a God. Seemed so very sad but sincere. Know where he's talking about?"

For a moment all Lin could do was stare.

The deer had seen Suzume!

"K-keep going," She had to clear her throat to continue, "When you get to the cliffs follow the trail to the right. Once you reach the stone lanterns go thru the ruins and there will be an old torii gate to your left. You can cross back to the Spirit World there. Bad things happened there so don't stay long. Do you have a place to go?"

Lin was about to bring her back to the Onsen when the deer brightened.

"Oh, yes! Abandoned shrine near the Otoge Pass. No _humans_ for miles! Have a sister waiting for me."

Lin's offer died on her lips at the way Deer Mother pronounced human.

Human.

She spoke the word like it was a disease or an affliction to be hated and feared.

"You've had trouble too," Deer Mother looked meaningfully at her missing arm and the scars, finishing with quiet sympathy, "Welcome to come with need new home."

Unconsciously Lin covered the burn with her palm as hot shame climbed into her cheeks. She'd almost forgotten about it; Almost. Sometimes she even forgot about her missing arm, reaching for something with fingers that weren't there. And it was hard not to be angry at the strange kami. These were things Lin didn't like to be reminded about.

"Thanks," She managed to keep her words even, "But this is my home."

"So close to the humans?" Deer Mother was shocked, "Should move! Won't be long before these hills torn down too!"

Lin gritted her teeth, annoyed by the kami's reaction, "These hills are protected."

"Nothing protected when _humans_ nearby! Ugh, can smell their eclectricity!"

She meant electricity. But again Lin was taken back bythe word brimming with undisguised hate as Mother Deer searched the trees with her sharp eyes, clutching her son's hand as she inched by. Lin stepped aside, letting her pass, more than ready for her to be gone. But earnestly the deer glanced back.

"Remember Otoge pass! You be welcomed. Thank you for help!"

"Bye-bye!" The little fawn waved as his wide dark eyes flashed back at her.

After stewing a moment, Lin called after them.

"Good luck!"

She meant it.

Watching them go, Lin heart sank knowing Deer Mother would've never set foot near the Onsen. Lin wondered if the creature would've talked to her if her name was still missing; probably not. The deer was _that_ kind of kami. And she might be welcomed at Otoge, but not the others. Her family broke all the rules and it was easy to forget about tradition in their insular little world. Under Onsen's roof all were welcome: the nameless; the death stained; even humans. Rubbing elbows with mortals on Matsuri days was on thing, but in this age no kami in their right mind would do what they did gladly. Immediately she thought of Haku. He had made his choice. Lin had also made her choice, but what did that make her? Sick to her stomach with the contradictions, Lin fixed her eyes on the ribbon of bare dirt and thought of nothing but putting one foot in front of the other.

Soon the chill retreated and the air turned balmy. Gouts of warmth folded around her in misty clouds as the sharp tang of the sulfur springs replaced the musty stink of wet bark. Stones suddenly lifted out of the ground, becoming a path that brought to a bow in front of the street stairs leading up onto the knoll. Like in her dream Lin climbed then slid down the massive swell of the root. But unlike in her dream there was no emerald canopy overhead. The great camphor tree had shed its gold green leaves. It was well into autumn and the massive reaching lengths of its boughs were bare beneath the dour gray sky overhead. As if asleep and softly snoring, the camphor tree listed and creaked in the salted wind blowing in off the seaside cliffs. Lightly Lin landed ankle deep in the springy moss and the carpet of wet dead brown leaves that carpeted the clearing in a patchwork quilt of yellows and tannin gold. Coming around to the fox statue Lin brushed the leaves from its back and shoulders, clearing the offering stone at the guardian's feet.

The bowl she'd left was empty so she refilled it with inari until the rice stuffed bean curd pockets were piled so high she couldn't fit anymore in the bowl. It was Suzume's favorite food. Beside it she placed a cup and a thing called a thermos, another of Kiri's magic implements. Though it would no longer be whipped the vessel would keep the matcha inside hot for the whole day. Tea cakes and pickles on plates wrapped with pretty cloth came next until the stone was full. She fussed with the vessels until the arrangement looked artful and the colors complemented each other.

Glancing around Lin found herself waiting. There wasn't a sound beside distant gurgling water; not even bird chirps. She thought about calling out to him but knew it would do no good. Sitting in front of the altar at a loss Lin grew so antsy until she couldn't take it anymore. Words burst from her lips, spilling out into thin air.

"Nani says the Kumomi Fishermen are having a good season."

Lin announced it to absolutely no one. Suddenly she found herself so desperate to talk to him that she settled for pouring the deluge of words over the stone statue.

"The catches are so big and the boats are so short staffed they called in Amano. He left yesterday morning with Nani's husband… What's his name? Gah, I can't remember! But you know it, you know everyone in town."

She gestured towards the ocean.

"They're on a boat called a _trawler_ headed for the deep water west of the Izu islands. Kiri showed me in t'he picture book from Mrs. Nikkou's room. It's called an atlas. There was a string of all these little island trailing off the edge of the peninsula way far out into the sea. The book is amazing! I didn't know there was so much water out there!"

Here Lin came up short.

It was so strange to be worried about a human.

Sen didn't count; she was more God than human anyway.

"It makes me nervous to think of Amano on a small boat in all that water. Kiri says it's really big and not to worry but she's a bad liar. She's worried too."

Lin shivered, standing up and pacing back and forth in front of the statue.

"That silly little mortal girl is afraid to be alone in her own house! She's staying with us while Amano's away. Kai too. That boy's vibrating with excitement every time I see him. I put them up in Hiko and Ginka's rooms. The girls pack into Natsumi's room every night anyway. How they can sleep like that I'll never know."

Lin rubbed her stomach with suddenly sympathy for the kits.

"Usagi's an enormous help, by the way. That's what we're calling her. I've never seen someone work so hard but she doesn't know how to hide very well. She's brown, brown, brown; skin, hair, and eye; just like her fur. It's unusual and it makes her conspicuous. Yoshi is absolutely in _love_ with her. The fool of a frog keeps leaving her flowers that turn out to be edible. She eats them and he doesn't know what to think!"

Lin laughed at that, coming to perch on the stone plinth beneath the statue.

"Kiri brought some human contraptions that cook without fire. There's a kettle that once plugged into the wall boil waters and vessel steams rice in twenty minutes when you touch of a red glowing button. Isn't that amazing? They help a lot because Kiri's helping Reika with the cooking. She's no good with magic and Onsen's at a loss for what to do with her, but at least Kiri knows what she's doing. She cooked at the temple for large groups and religious gatherings. Diner was alright; but not as good as Amano's. She does, however, make excellent onigiri (2). You'll see."

Lin gestured at the food on the offering stone only to fall still.

"Reika says it's important that the humans in town asked Amano to go with them. She says it means they've taken him back. She say's it'll be easier on Kiri too then they finally get married, if Keiichi ever gives up that _stupid_ grudge! Thanks to him the wedding's on hold indefinitely… I can't keep taking reservations and turning around and canceling; it's bad business."

Lin scrubbed her face with a frustrated sighed.

"Gah… Listen to me _complain!_ "

Here she paused, picking at the moss on the stone.

"I know they're only _humans,_ but I like having them around. Amano kinda funny when he's not keeping his mouth shut. Hiko and Ginka get the chance to be kids instead of servants when Kai's around. Kiri's a dope, but she's really not that bad."

Here Lin paused, shifting uncomfortably, because what she was about to say went against all the laws of Kami. She sighed gustily, muttered beneath her breath.

"They belong to us more than they belong to that stupid town."

Silence gathered in the wake of her admission.

And Lin despaired as she remembered she was talking to a piece of stone!

"I'm sorry…" she hushed, struggling through the sharp pinch closing up her throat. Staring at her muddy feet she could only tell the truth, "I'm sorry for what I said… I'm sorry I hurt you…"

Once again she found herself listening to wind, leaves, and water.

Never had such gentle sounds left her so empty.

"Suzume?" She whispered his name with such fragile hope.

But the answering silence was brutal.

Bent and hugging her stomach beneath the crushing weight of it, Lin went stock still as she understood. Now she understood why Suzume went on and on about failing. She understood the swallowing helplessness born of it and the furious rage it inspired. She wanted to jump up and yell and scream at the stone statue! She wanted to break it to pieces out of spite! But her anger cooled as she remembered what violence had already cost her. Exhausted by the pain in her heart, Lin stood wearily.

But there was still one thing left to leave.

Though her sling hung empty around her neck the piece of folded paper tucked into the fold of her kimono felt heavier than all of the other parcels combined. The thin slip seemed to be burning against her skin. Lin was no poet; she didn't have any of the sweet pillow words the fox so easily murmured against her hair in the night. She had nothing beyond food, anger, and his harshly called name. None had coaxed him home; nothing she could write would do so either.

Perhaps what Haku had written would.

So Lin left the dragon's letter beneath the fox's bowl.

Then she curled up in the niche between the statue's front paws.

For a moment she clung to the stone, willing it to be him.

" _Please_ , beloved," Lin entreated on the edge of tears, "Please come home!"

* * *

 **HAKU**

"S'my old room!"

Cinna hushed with barely contained excitement as she yanked open the slider at the end of the dark hall. Like some kind of furniture graveyard, the narrow passage was encumbered on both sides by piles of battered and disused tables, broken and punctured shoji (3), busted lanterns, and split cushions. All of which were covered with layers of sheets making the forgotten furniture quite ghostly in the feeble light of the shy white lantern that accompanied them into the attic, lighting the way to their… accommodations.

"Shoo! Buzz off, neh!?"

Cinna shoved the lingering bura-bura (4) out into the hall, scooting it over his shoulder as Haku bent to avoid hitting his head on the ceiling in the cramped space. Throwing open storage chests against the far wall the cat hauled out two rolled futons which she haphazardly tossed onto the floor, kicking up great plumes of dust.

 _"Look-it! Look-it!"_

The cat darted forward, slinging Tomoe from her back and propping him on the sill atop a dusty zabuton (5) before throwing open the window slider. Outside was a shallow balcony with a useless reed-thin banister more show than function. Onto this the cat threw herself, leaning out without a care so that Haku inched forward nervously, ready to seize her tail and haul her back to safety should she fall.

"Ain't it pretty?"

She sighed over the smell of wood smoke breathing inside from the not entirely distant vents in the roof from the kitchen far below. And the shamisen plinked and plunked unhappily.

"Ah, pip down! Aye think i's pretty!"

Coming to the window and bending to look over the cat's shoulder, Haku found the vista filled with a fantastic view of Hell. That was what he thought of the first level. It was fitting thanks to the scores of red lanterns clustered around the main gate. As a result of the lights and the smoke hanging over the lower reaches, the first level had a decidedly red glow as if burning. Something shifted behind him, making him straighten and hit his head on the ceiling as he turned with Hanoane in hand. She clattered to the floor at his feet as he sat on his knees vigorously rubbing his smarting head.

"Cinna, we cannot stay here," He gritted through his teeth in exasperation, "That spider woman is _dangerous_."

The shamisen strummed a chord in agreement.

"Didn' ask yer 'pinion!" More than angrily the cat slammed the balcony slider shut, rounding on him with crossed arms, "'Sides, we ain't got no money 'r food. Where else we gonna stay!?"

Haku had no quick answer with which to counter. Instead he stuffed Lin's sword back into the sheath at his waist. Again something scrambled in the distance, nearly making him jump out of his skin as he whirled and searched the room only to find things had gone silent.

"This place makes me uneasy," Haku hissed beneath his breath.

"Tha's 'cause t' _shoji_ 're lookin' at yeh. Walls have eyes, y'dummy."(6)

Cinna jabbed a claw at a listing stack of broken sliding doors. Haku peered at them closely only to realize eyes were indeed staring at him from the holes poked in the rice paper. He jolted against the sill as they blinked in syncopated rhythm, curiously peering from under the hem of the sheet.

" _Tch!_ Fer a God y'sure don' know much 'bout yokai!"

"I… I have never given them much thought until now." Haku stammered.

The cat pulled the sheet over the sliders until the eyes could no longer stare. They creaked and rattled in disappointment.

 _"Shaddup!"_ Cinna whirled with her hair on end and slammed her fist against the floor, "Tha' goes fer t'rest o' yeh, got it!?"

Several other objects meekly shifted and creaked beneath their curtains, settling into silence as the cat unrolled the musty smelling futons. As she made up their beds Cinna glanced at him sideways.

"S'okay, kitten. Y'don' have t'hide no more."

Reluctantly Haku pushed back his mask and hood. The air felt good on his clammy face. Sitting on his heels beside the shamisen, Haku watched the cat work, considering what she said a moment prior. Tsukumonogami were not new to him, neither were any of the goblins or ghouls he had seen over these days. But to his new eyes everything seemed so very different and frightening. Strange, however, that he had not been so frightened that he did not hesitate to strike out against Jouma to protect the cat. That he had not become a complete coward was some consolation. Haku glanced at the Cinna only to find her reclined on a futon. Too shy to ask outright so he decided it best to circle back to the real question on his mind.

"This was your room?" He began awkwardly

"Yup," She began chewing her claws, "Wuz ah lot bigger when aye wuz little. Wuz ah long time ago a'fore aye met Tommie."

"Why does Jouma hate you so?"

" _Tch!"_ She grinned smugly, "'Cause aye's ah better dancer."

That was not the answer he had been expecting. Instinct, however, told him he was on the right track.

"Was she the one who taught you to dance?"

"Jouma?! _Ha!_ " Cinna laughed so hard she held her stomach, "Tha' stupid spider's got _eight_ left feet! Even Shurui couldn' teach 'er t'dance!"

Haku frowned as curiosity got the better of him, "Who is Shurui?"

Cinna's tail twitched as she went still and quiet.

"She wuz ah better dancer 'an even me," the cat replied evasively before pinning him in place with her shrewd red eyes, "So Pops says we got's t'see Bah-Fu 'bout kiddo's curse, neh?"

"Yes," Haku was not surprised that she heard, "He said it would be difficult."

"S'difficult 'cause y'gotta be o' rank t'git t'the Third Level. S'where t'richies live," she lashed her tail while inspecting her claws. They were dirty.

At a loss he blinked, "How are we to gain entry?"

"Tch! Aye said y'gotta be o' rank or _rich_ , kitten."

"Cinna, we do not have any money. You gave Jouma all the false gold."

"Had t'give tha' greedy bitch somethin' t'git her mind off us. 'Sides, tha' stuffs no good fer where we's goin'. Third Guard's ain't so dumb as t'front door dogs. We need _real_ gold t'buy our way int'the Third Level so aye's gonna make us some."

At once there was a fan in her hand. The gold and silver bells hanging from the hinge rang loudly as Cinna opened it with a flourish. It flashed like her blood red eyes as they turned up at him, glinting mischievously.

* * *

 **LIN**

Lin jolted awake as a board outside her door creaked.

She had spent her whole day waiting for this moment. In her distraction she'd scrubbed the front porch twice. Then she confused Onsen to no end when she'd stripped perfectly clean linens from the guest rooms Hiko and Ginka just made up. Barely touching her food; not hearing any of Aniyaku's jokes or Natsumi's koto music at the evening performance; Lin's world narrowed to the moment she fell asleep. Her heart filled with hope that she would wake up and he would be there beside her. And now someone was moving outside her door.

But then there was a knock, so quiet she barely heard it.

And hope died in her heart.

Her chest felt as if it caved in under the piercing stab of disappointment.

Suzume never knocked.

"Come in," she half choked the words.

The overwhelming sadness pressing her to the floor abated somewhat as Kiri crept through a crack in the slider dressed all in black. She had even wound a black scarf around her head and face, looking like something out of the ridiculous samurai movies the frogs had recently discovered. Kiri produced a shiny red tile from her pocket, holding it up with shaking fingers.

"I did what you told me t'do when I was in town. Um… will y'come with me?"

Lifting to one elbow Lin looked the human up and down with an inquiring frown. Even all muffled up Lin could see the slight bulge at Kiri's belly. The human was starting to show, just like she was experiencing morning sickness. Since they had come to stay at the bathhouse Lin could hear the poor things retching from the bathroom downstairs every morning. Lin chewed one of her nails anxiously, wondering if Kiri had finally told Amano. In spite of her wishes, the human wasn't going to be able to keep this hidden much longer.

Though they had seen none of the Bath House kami openly asked. But through their actions Lin knew they knew so she'd given up on hiding. Usagi wouldn't let her scrub floors or get near a mop. Yoshi and L.G. took from Lin any heavy burden they caught her carrying. And Natsumi had taken to her afternoon shift at the Welcome Station so she could take a much needed nap at the height of the day. Their help was a blessing as there was so much paperwork to be done.

Lin sighed gustily.

There was no way she was going to fall asleep again after this. And anything was better than lying awake in the dark waiting for someone who would never come. Swallowing another overwhelming stab of despair, Lin struggled upright. Her stomach made standing awkward and she tied her haori coat tightly over the rounded swell, watching the uncertain human loiter in the doorway.

"Put the tile on the slider."

"L-like this?"

Kiri jerked back as she placed it on the surface only to have the token leap out of her fingers and firmly affix to the wood panel like a loadstone to iron.

"Open it." Lin instructed evenly, trying not to smirk as a tingle of magic uncurled in the room, shivering through the floor board as Kiri drew the portal open.

" _S-shit!"_

The human jerked back from the sight on the other side. Coming up behind Kiri and looking over her head, Lin was offered a view of the garden inside the Kumomi Temple complex. Shafts of light spilled across the lawn from some adjacent building as the cold air smelling strongly of green ocean blew through the portal, making Lin shiver as a couple lacy dry leaves spilled over the threshold.

"T-that's my garden!" Kiri stammered incredulously.

"Don't look so surprised," Lin tried not to grin, "I told you this would happen."

With an odd thread of excitement thrilling in the balls of her feet, Lin left the gaping human in her wake, crossing into the narrow courtyard and looking back at the doorway of some kind of auxiliary building. Curiosity had hold of her now and it pulled her forward onto the cold stone of the narrow passage. The steep hill ahead of her was dark with the waving black arms of pines. No doubt finding ways between the world thanks to the full moon, tiny harmless beings scrambled back and forth between the shadow cast beneath the ferns. Carefully she peered around the corner and found the lights reflecting off the pond issuing from the exterior sliders of the living quarters. The squat traditional building was one story with a deep encircling veranda faced on all sides by shoji that were all aglow. The main door was flanked with empty statues and no one passed behind the translucent paper, giving the building a decidedly lonely character.

Sniffing the air she tasted only cold bitter tea and artificially flavored ramen. Obviously no guests were expected, so Lin could only surmise all the wasted light was simply to keep the isolation away. But there was an eerie edge to darkness tonight. It was probably the moon; but whatever it was making Lin apprehensive. Lin glanced back as Kiri pressed into her shadow, peering around at the house with a baffling mixture of longing, hate, and apprehension.

"It's been almost two months since I've been home…" Here her panic was irritatingly palpable, "W-what if Kei see's me?!"

"He won't."

Lin pulled her hand over her face, drawing her mask and cloak out of hiding. Again Kiri gasped, recoiling as she disappeared. The human hesitated with white faced apprehension as Lin held open the corner of the gauzy tattered fabric.

"Do you want my help or not!?" She snapped impatiently.

Hastily Kiri skated forward, fitting herself under Lin's only arm as she dropped the cloak into place. At once Kiri shuddered violently, following with jerky movements as they approached the front door. Walking with a human under her arm was near to impossible. Lin had to grit her teeth to keep from shouting in frustration. The girl was ridiculously slow and utterly ungainly! If ever there was an exercise in patience this was one to share with the other kami! That and the girl was burning to the touch, so hot Lin was quickly sweating.

Somehow they made it to the front door, which was unlocked. Up into the hall Lin spared a glance at the empty kamidana tucked against the eve. She found truly shocking that it was so devoid of any shread of spirit. Any house this old normally accumulated _something_. Next time she visited Lin would have to bring a couple of mushi or maybe a dust spirit; anything to bring some life to the seemingly sterile house. This was, after all, the residence of a kannushi. Shinto Priests were known for being the last among humans who still saw between the worlds. Keiichi, however, apparently had not inherited such skill. His sister, however, had.

The long hall that opened to their right seemed to stretch into forever and it remained difficult to remain silent with Kiri tucked under her arm. The floor creaked every so often thanks to the human's unsteady footfalls. But Kiri brought them up short at a crack in a sliding door. Blindingly bright light spilled from within. Together they peered around the edge of the frame in at Keiichi. Never had Lin seen a room so neat and orderly. Even the books in the austere shelves were arranged by size. As if venting some kind of pent up nervous energy, the priest shuffled and arranged the already collated and cleanly stacked papers boxing in his desk. He was still wearing his white kimono and blue hakama. Lin surmised he probably wore nothing but.

Bent over an open book wearing gold-rimmed spectacles that hid his eyes in reflection, the human pillowed his forehead in his hand. Keiichi was handsome enough for a mortal; but his stone chin and chiseled features were perhaps a bit paunchy, no doubt due to sedentary study. The relation between the two humans was undeniable. Lin could see in the stubborn set of the human's jaw and the shape of their brows. But as if he was afraid of the dark every single light in the priest's room was turned on until the buzzing humming electricity set Lin's teeth on edge, making her inside squirm with the need to turn around and run.

Thankfully Kiri withdrew.

Grasping her arm, the human guided her back down the hall to a closed door.

Already Lin could smell the aged pain on the other side.

Pulling the slider open just a crack they peered in at the old man sleeping soundly beneath the thick quilt. His bald pate reflected in the light from the hallway and the hands extended on top of the blankets were so gnarled with swollen lumps they looked more like claws. The same sickness afflicted all of the old human's joints making her linger in the hall as the unnerving stink of suffering held her back. Kiri, however, did not hesitate. Darting out from under the cloak she was across the tatami unwinding the scarf around her head. Clambering under the covers, Kiri curled up in the small of the old man's back, making her grandfather look tiny in comparison. At a loss for what else to do Lin came inside and shut the slider.

Round like a white lantern, the full moon flooded through the curtains on the far window, filling the room with natural light. Shadows pooled into static indigo puddles save for the creeping blot of black that spilled from beneath the quilt like water. White shock exploded like firecrackers of ice inside Lin's chest at the sight. At once Lin shrank from it, circling round to the opposite side of the room as the living shadow stood up against the opposite wall as if watching the humans huddled on the futon. This was not the mindless seeking anemones she had witness before! As if it had somehow evolved, this being was very much aware.

Though it had no eyes Lin could feels its attention shift to her.

Again she reached for her sword; very much wishing it was still there.

But the shadow' gaze returned to the futon as the old human roused.

"Is that you, Kiki-chan?" He mumbled in a feebly

"Hi, granddad," Kiri returned tearfully, hugging him tightly.

"Oh, I missed you so much, child!" He patted her hands just like Mrs. Nikkou, struggling to sit up, "I was hoping I would see you tonight."

Kiri had to help him because the rest of his body was bent and hunch with the same joint sickness. And the human girl fussed over her grandfather, straightening his sleeping robes and draping the haori coat folded beside the futon over his shoulders. Next she folded the quilt neatly over his knees. All this the old man accepted with patience before lifting cloudy gray eyes in her direction. They were the same color as Kiri's white eye. Again Lin shrank against the wall as the human's gaze sharpened through the haze of age until he was peering at her with interest.

And he saw her! In spite of her mask and cloak the human saw her clear as day!

"You honor me with your presence, Kami-sama." With difficulty the old man bowed in her direction, "My name is Goshiro. Welcome to this humble mortal's room."

As if she had forgotten she was there the former temple maiden jumped as Lin drew back her mask and cloak, revealing herself with an awkward bow.

"Uh… Nice to meet you, Goshiro-san."

"Oh, you are with child!" The old man bowed again, "Congratulations!"

Immediately Lin went red in the face.

Was there anything this human didn't see!?

Apparently not; as he straightened with stiff movements the old man noticed his granddaughter's second shadow. It was Lin's turn to watch with interest as Goshiro's face tightened into stern lines, obliterating once simpering expression. At once he put one of his tremulous gnarled hands on his granddaughter's shoulder, making her start as he pulled her close. As if afraid of him, the shadow squirmed, attempting to retreat.

"You will remain, _**boshi-san**_!" (7)

His voice cracked like thunder in the tiny room.

It didn't belong to an old man.

Magic rang in Lin's ears like the name the old man had used to bind the strange spirit. And glimpse of the great priest he'd once been was revealed from beneath the cloak of age, surfacing as if from where he had been sleeping beneath the guise of senility. Like Reika a fire burned inside him so intensely he was nearly hollowed by the hungry embers. Pinned in place, the shadow writhed on the wall only to fall still as the old man studied it intently. As he looking askance at the blot on the wall the clouds lifted from his gaze and Goshiro's silver eyes turned to sharp knives in the dark.

"D'you see _it_ , Granddad?!" The former temple maiden's voice broke on the edge of panic as she sat bolt upright, realizing what he was looking at.

"I do, child," the old priest murmured gravely, "I do."

* * *

 **Notes:**

(1) Kasa is an umbrella term for one of many types of traditional hats worn in historic Japan. In this case I'm referring to the conical traveling hat actually called a _Sugegasa._

(2) The wedge shaped rice balls often mixed with spices and wrapped in nori. These are the things Haku gives Chihiro to eat in the Rhododendron garden. They had the same maternal associations as "mom and apple pie" do in American culture.

(3) Shoji are the translucent paper screen sliding doors. These are different from fusuma, which are opaque and usually painted with murals.

(4) Bura-bura are haunted paper lanterns.

(5) Sitting cushions usually used during the winter.

(6) Mokumoku Ren are haunted paper sliders filled with blinking eyes. They are often found in abandoned homes. Much like Europeans say the walls have ears, the Japanese say the walls have eyes.

(7) Boshi is the Japanese word for a human shadow.


	14. Chapter 14

**LIN**

"Kiki-chan… did you cross?"

Goshiro's gentle words were at odds with the sharp lines of his face, making him hawkish as he pinned the shadow in place with his gaze. Kiri's white face caught the moonlight, making her white eye flash like one of Haku's scales.

"It was stupid and I'm so sorry I went! S-something _bad_ came back over in me, granddad! I… I didn't mean to bring it back! I didn't! It was so _bad_ Obaasama had to get it out of me!" Again she bowed at his knees, curling up into his lap and whispering as if afraid to speak them. "I… I _died_ , granddad!"

As if expecting to hear this, Goshiro closed his eyes.

"Where is the evil now?"

When Kiri surfaced with a blank stare Lin cut in with a clipped explanation.

"It was destroyed by the ocean. I watched it die with my own eyes."

"O-Sengen-sama be praised!" The old human bent with relief.

But in spite of his exultation, Goshiro was not at peace. The priest's face was deeply troubled as again the shadow fidgeted uneasily. But it remained pinned in place by the name he had given it. Lin crept closer around the foot of the futon. As if frightened the shadow shrank, pale and quaking like the mortal from which it stemmed. Lin sniffed the air cagily. It had no smell nor did it make a sound. Even more strangely it was not kami, but it was.

"What is _it_ , Goshiro-san?" Lin breathed in frustration.

"I do not know, Kami-sama. We must ask my granddaughter."

"M-me?" Kiri squeaked, still refusing to look at it. "Uh… I, uh, don't think it's _bad_ or anything like t'thing that came back with me… B-but I don't want it _in_ either! Just… Just don't hurt it, okay?"

The human's lips drew into a thin grim line that remind Lin far too much of Suzume, "You have no choice, child."

"W-what d'you mean, no choice!?"

"When you crossed you brought powerful feeling with you, child. In the Spirit World they are living beings. Whatever this being is, it clings to you because it is of your making. It cannot be removed because it is a part of you that has been transformed into something else."

Once again Kiri's face went blank as she crumbled forward onto the folded coverlet. Consolingly the old human put a hand on the former temple maiden's head as if she was a little girl.

"I am sorry, child," He hushed sadly as his face softened with fondness, "You seemed to have inherited your mother's luck."

"Will she be alright, Goshiro-san?"

"Only she can answer that question," With a sigh he bent beneath pain as clouds passed over his eyes again, "You honor my granddaughter with your concern, Kami-sama."

Awkward and worried, Lin tried not to pace.

"You and I are the only ones who see it. Why?"

"I do not know," The old priest frowned in contemplation, "But my mother told me not to be afraid of shadows."

He smiled wrly but did so slowly as if even this hurt him.

Lin blinked, finding she liked this human very much.

"I cannot remember the last time I saw you, Kiki-chan," Again the stern lines drew his face grim, "What else has your brother been keeping from me?"

Kiri went perfectly still, "Did Keii tell you about H-Hidé?"

"No." The old priest composed himself, calmly waited for the inevitable.

"He went back to the ocean…"

Unsurprised, as if he'd always known, Goshiro smoothed her hair with slow strokes of his ruined hands, "I am sorry, child. I know you love him very much."

Kiri sat up, though her head remained bowed.

"S'okay… Even though people a lot of people say so, I know he's not dead. That's why Obasama didn't have a funeral. He's out there still an' it's okay. It's even more okay because of Amano." Kiri's began nervously picking at the hem of her shirt, continuing in a quiet rush. "He an' I are getting married, Granddad. W-we're gonna have _twins,_ granddad! A girl and a boy; Obaasama says so."

Blinking rapidly, the old man's mouth fell open.

After all he had seen and heard only now was Goshiro shocked.

He didn't get a chance to reply because Lin heard the floor creak as Keiichi came down the hall. She melted back into the corner yanking Kiri with her, shrouding them in her cloak. They faded away into to dark pools of shadow in the corner of the room as the door to the hall slid open. Outlined by the column of light that came spilling in from the hall, the young priest frowned at his grandfather. After a moment Keiichi's went still. Lifting his head, his eyes widened behind the wire rims of his glasses.

"You're sharp tonight, Granddad."

"I come and go," The old priest smirked wryly, "This you know."

At once Keiichi was peered all around the room, standing on the threshold as if afraid of the dark, "Who're you talking to?"

Without hesitation Goshiro told the truth, "Your sister."

Keiichi lost his grip on the frame and stumbled a step inside, face agape.

The old man chuckled ruefully, "You should have told me she is getting married."

At once fury hit Kiri's in a very unpriestly manner.

" _Where is she?!"_

Kiri jumped at her brother's angry bark, shrinking with a hand clamped over her mouth. Lin held her close, watching the human as he flew to the closet, angrily throwing it open and searching inside. Finding nothing but clothes his eyes hit the sapphire sky.

"Did she go out the window?!"

Tossing the curtains he peered and craned his neck like an old woman spying on her neighbors. As he did the moon drenched his face. From the harsh tone of his voice Lin hadn't been expecting to see the remorse in his eyes. Confused and intrigued, she hesitated, rooting them in the corner even as Kiri tugged on her obi, trying to pull them towards the door.

"Kiki-chan did not go out the window, Keiichi," Goshiro sighed, "Whatever your reason for being angry with her _this time_ it cannot warrant withholding her home."

From the old priest's lack of surprise Lin gathered this kind of outburst was common from Keiichi. It was completely at odds with the reserved face he put forward while in the company of others. And when he was angry Keiichi was just like his sister: irrational and short-sighted.

"She _abandoned_ her duties, granddad!" Keiichi threw back explosively, "We would have been without music if Ms. Ogino hadn't sent her employees! It was shameful, Granddad! Absolutely _shameful_!"

Kiri shrank from the harshness in his voice. The human girl clung to Lin as her brother paced the opposite side of the futon. Kei's face was twisted with emotions as he came to a standstill.

"You should hear the way the village talks about her! She's just like _mother_!"

This was the first Lin had heard about the twins' mother. Keiichi did not elaborate, which left her itching with questions. Here Goshiro left out another long suffering sigh. As he struggled to lay down Kei was immediately kneeling beside his grandfather, easing him back onto the pillows with gentle movements, covering him with the folded quilt and fussing with the old human's bedding. He hovered just like his sister.

"Can I bring you anything? Do you want some medicine?"

"Not yet… The remedies put me in a fog and I need to stay sharp a little while longer… I know you are angry, dear boy, but you should not withhold yourself from her. She needs you, Keiichi. She needs you more than she ever has before."

Keiichi fell still, dropping his chin so his eyes disappeared beneath the reflection of his glasses. When he spoke his bitter hush was stricken.

"If she _needs_ me so desperately then why did she leave!?"

Somehow Lin knew he wasn't talking about just his twin.

"I do not know, child. But I do know you should not blame your sister for faults that are not her own," Goshiro's voice frayed on the edge of exhaustion, "Just as I know Kiki-chan came back because she loves us. Remember that, Keiichi."

After a long moment of silence Keiichi yanked off his glasses. The young priest bowed his head and pinched the bridge of his nose as once again remorse flooded his face. How long he sat like that Lin wasn't sure. But she could tell from the slow rise and fall of Goshiro's chest that the old man was asleep.

"She loves you, granddad," Keiichi's voice thickened, "But she _hates_ me."

Again he wasn't just talking about his twin, he was talking about himself. In that moment Lin caught a glimpse of the priest's powerful self-loathing. It left her so baffled that she jolted in surprise as Kiri answered her brother without thinking.

"I don't hate you, Keii…"

Lin was so startled that for a moment her illusions failed. At once she clamped her hand over the human's mouth. All the same Keiichi dropped his glasses, throwing himself back against the opposite wall as his dark eyes swallowed his face. Filled with terror they blindly fixed on the corner of the room where they were once again hidden.

" _K-Kiri!?"_

He saw but he didn't see.

All the same, the damage was done.

Stupid, _stupid_ human! Muttering silent curses, Lin tightened her arm around the human girl's middle and all but carried her from the room. The front door opened and closed with a solid _clack_ and at once they were folded in night, breezing around the corner into the narrow passage. The swift arrival scattered a handful of lesser kami gathered beneath a score of weakly winking mushi; all loitered at the threshold of the portal back to the Onsen attracted by the faint smell of magic. With tiny squeals they fled as Lin brusquely dropped Kiri. Dizzy from speed , she collapsed onto her knees only to shrink under the hedge as her brother called distantly.

" _Kiri!? Kiri, wait!"_

Muffled in the obscurity of her cloak Lin craned her head around the corner. Without a coat or sandals the young priest rushed out into the garden, coming up short beside the reflecting pond. Tucked behind an ornamental evergreen, chewing her nails to the point they began to bleed, Kiri peered at her brother looking for like she might call out to him again.

"Don't even!" Lin ordered sternly, frowning at her before pulling the girl's fingers from her mouth.

"But…!" Kiri hissed back, more than ready to argue.

"You wanna try and explain what he just saw?!

The human fell silent as her face furrowed.

"He's not ready for this yet," Lin continued quietly, "He might be able to dismiss it as a fluke, but he won't be able to forget what you said."

"I don't hate him," Kiri repeated in distraction.

Back to chewing her fingernail, she watched her brother search the hillside, spinning in circles with his hands on his head. The young priest wore a flabbergasted expression, shrinking from the night as if seeing things he'd never seen before. Now Lin understood why Suzume asked her to be patient with the human. He was so very blind his denial was almost crippling. Lin found herself feeling sorry for the human. It was so very strange to care about these creatures she once hated.

"It doesn't matter how many times you tell him that, girl," Lin muttered gruffly, "He won't believe you until he ready to stop hating himself."

"W-what?"

Kiri looked up wearing the same baffled expression as her brother.

They were so alike Lin couldn't help but snort.

"C'mon, girl. Let's go home."

Like she didn't weight a thing Lin hauled Kiri to her feet just as a strange noise cut through the silence of the dark. Together they frowned at the sky as the choppy whirring sound intensified. And she recoiled as a wind blasted across the roof, sending the trees on the hillside creaking and moaning. There was something in the sky! Something terrible that stank of burning metal and spewed the sweet acrid stink of the flammable liquid humans used to power their metal contraptions. How horrible! This thing could fly! It hovered high overhead while the blinking red light of it glowing eyes stared down at them.

"W-what is it!?" Lin shrank under the eves, already looking for rocks to throw.

"It's a coast guard helicopter!" Kiri was on her feet. Her miss-matched eyes were wide with sharp recognition.

" _A what?!"_

She could barely hear her own voice over the humming throbbing pulses emanating from the spinning blades atop the thing's narrow insectorous body. Whatever it was, the thing obviously meant to land in the village below.

"Something's wrong!" Kiri shouted over the din.

She read Lin's mind; because the lick of apprehension that had been gnawing at the back of Lin's mind the past three days suddenly thrilled up inside her heart. It vibrated down her legs, jarring inside her knees, making pins prick beneath her feet as it urged her to run. But run where!?

At once Kiri took off. The human was around the opposite building and down a flight of stone steps before Lin caught up with her. She was slowed by her stomach but still outpaced the former temple maiden. Together they ran across the empty parking lot where the matsuri were held, darting under the great stone torii that gated the temple complex. Kiri stopped on the opposite side the road, almost throwing herself over the railing as she tried to see. As Lin came up beside her she clearly saw the helicopter from the metal and concrete bridge straddling the two hills in which the village of Kumomi nestled. Bathed in the caustic floodlights ringing the flat black lot, the mechanical beast had come to rest in front of the hospital. The blades atop its bulk cut the air in circles, kicking up such fierce wind that the flags on the pole in front of the bright glass building nearly ripped free. With sharp eyes she watched from afar as humans in white swarmed under the blurring blades.

Two shapes were passed from the interior.

A pair of humans broke away, hurrying inside with two rolling beds.

And an eerie knowing hit Lin so firmly she took a step backwards.

Death always came in threes.

* * *

 **HAKU**

" _Tch!_ Cantcha do better'n tha'!? We's s'posed t'be _fancy_ Gods!"

Wearing all of her jingling jangling finery, Okesa no Sado stamped her foot impatiently, making bells ring and the gold and silver foil mice and birds go chasing back and forth against the beautiful black of her smoothly lacquered hair.

Together they stood in the shadows of the cramped alley behind the tea shop courtyard where the cat had just charmed handfuls of silver and gold from a crowd of eager spectators. The Gods within seemed afflicted by boredom as if it was a sickness. They were eager to pay for amusement. Okesa, however, had given them awe. Sitting on the sidelines with Tomoe guiding his fingers up and down the neck of the shamisen, Haku let the ghost use him to play music so the cat might dance. Haku could play the instrument without help, but Tomoe knew the songs Okesa required. It was unnerving to have his hands in the charge of another being, reminding him far too much of being under the control of the Oni Collar. But the melody was so fast that Haku had little time to think of anything but the pick against the strings. Strange, however, that as he watched he longed to dance beside her. In truth he loved to dance.

"Is this not enough?"

Haku glanced at himself in the mirror he'd summoned out from a sheet of water pooling in the gutter. Though he was dressed in far less to the rest of the world he appeared to be wearing a blindingly white suikan coat and crisply pressed pants.

"Fanicer, neh? Like this."

Cinna gestured at herself in a chorus of silvery tinkling. Her sumptuous three layered kimono was embellished with folding fans of gold, red, and purple. Were it real it would have been worth a fortune. On her back even Tomoe had dressed himself well; the shamisen's black body was so slick he seemed wet. But what was real and what was not mattered little to the Gods when it came to their appearance. The gold and silver tucked away inside the cat's obi was real enough.

Concentrating on his reflection, Haku focused until he could feel the cold bite of magic prickling in his blood. Out of his robe he conjured a fantastic coat of silver scales like the ones he had lost. They flashed like iridescent shells as he flexed his fingers inside the pearly mail gloves on his hands. His mask became a flared gold horned helmet with a crest of layered emerald silk that fell down his back, eddying like sheer lacy weed wafting in a river's current. Thick spirals of blowing wind embroidered in silver curls around the hem of the sapphire hakema pants tucked into the gold grieves trussed beneath the ropes of twined silver and gold that made his sandals. Though it was a lie, proudly he wore the face of the dragon he once was.

Okesa took a step away from him with wide eyes as cat ears pricked amidst her styled hair. Tomoe strummed a chord that rang with approval.

"Tommie's right, kitten… Tha's _much_ better."

With another backwards glance her ears swiveled away. The tip of her tail twitched at the hem of her kimono as she turned to peer around the corner at the steep white stairs leading up to the enormous pillars of the sweeping red and white gate that soared over the wall of Shitamachi's Third Level. The green tiles on the hipped gable roof gleamed like jade in the dim light thanks to the luminous moss growing in the shadows of its overlapping ceramic surface. Standing beneath the bristling shide festooning the wide rice rope suspended in the arch of the gate, looking red like the ruddy God of the East was an enormous boar. His hard snouted faces scanned the thin trickle of merchants leading carts of bushel rice along by bridled centipedes. Like the dogs in front of the city the kami wore a breastplate displaying the inverted tree and wheel, but befitting his station his armor was of a much higher quality. And Haku noticed him glance again and again at the tea shop with round greedy eyes. From somewhere high above them the deep sonorous ring of a temple bell struck the turning hour.

"Wait a' t'bottom step, neh?"

Haku followed in her shadow until she waved him to a stop at the bottom step. Silently creeping up the side banister, Cinna minced out along the middle step, startling the guard until his eyes widened in recognition.

"Well hello there, Missy Cat," The guard threw his eyes at the tea shop, "Ain't you the one who was just dancin?"

"S'right, soldier." She tossed her hip at him making her bells ring as she lifted her chin coyly. Flirting outrageously, the cat made a show up drawing up the hem of her kimono just an inch to show her tabi socked foot as she delicately planted her toes on the next step up. "Saw me didja?"

The boar pushed up the front of his helmet, leaning forward on his spear and obviously seeing something as a goofy grin split his bristly face.

"That aye did, Missy Cat."

"We's on our way t'the Third Temple," She tossed her head, making her hair pins spin and flash. These the guard watched in fascination, "Let us pass, neh?"

"You sure are pretty enough t'be from the Third, but y'talk just like us low levelers," His brown eyes sharpened slyly, revealing he was not nearly so easily taken as first he let on, "Sorry, sweetheart. You ain't gonna pass for love or money."

Cinna froze as her plan abruptly backfired.

Haku stared past her at the soaring gables of the gate as his heart sank in his chest, threatening his weak spindly knees. This was his only chance to seek council on Chihiro's curse from one who knew of such things. This was his only chance to prove the fox wrong. Shitamatchi was the last of the Edo God Cities, there was no where else he could turn. If anyone was to know of such evils they were to be found here. And Haku was not about to let a pig with a sharp stick stand in his way. Standing tall and imperious Haku melted out of the shadows and marched up the stairs calling a wind in his wake. With a he addressed the guard directly as he might have spoken to the Bath House employees.

"Is there an issue, spearman or do you tarry my _pretty_ servant needlessly?"

The boar blinked rapidly, obviously taken aback by the sudden wind and his appearance. He looked him up and down with wide eyed awe as if he had never seen his like. Encouraged, Haku pushed his luck, frowning down at the boar with a cold quelling stare, for he was much taller than the God.

"It appears you have no further words, guardsman. Then I shall pass and so shall my servant."

Haku walked right at the boar, pushing a cold wind in front of him for added effect. The still startled kami clambered out of the way and actually bowed to him as he strode under the gate with the cat jingling in his shadow.

He almost came to a halt on the other side.

The Third Level was magnificent in comparison to the lower levels.

The roads were paved in sheets of wide white stone. Public gardens of trained and trellised moss and fungus glowed in the four corners of the expansive square. Well dressed Gods lounged beside the reflecting pools, laughing and talking as more were carried by in palanquins on their way to business or pleasure. But the idyllic picture was false, for a darker side lurked beneath each smiling face. The lesser beings, obviously servants judging from the state of their clothes, wore shackles much like the one Brother Tanuki had clamped around his neck. Their haggard faces were drawn in grim lines as their keepers glanced at him curiously.

Like he knew where he was going Haku continued to parade down the wide avenue, following his instincts. And he spared a glance to the left and right as the road parted in four ways in the middle of the courtyard. Continuing forward, he passed under a huge stone torii as row after row of gated and guarded estates blurred by. And he was struck by how empty this level felt.

The windows of the houses were silent and dark, hollow compared to the bustle and industry of the Second Level. But far in the distance, sitting atop the swelling hill, was the Fourth Gate. Carved of translucent crystal it stood like the doorway to heaven. Above its luminous parapets was the Root Castle's Wall. It rivaled the outer-most walls. But to its left, overshadowed by a huge swelling branch of the latticing boughs, was a pagoda. Strange to see a Buddhist structure standing amidst such depravity and horror, but even the Gods suffered so it was not entirely out of place.

"Slow down!" Cinna hissed in frustration.

Haku came to a stop for he had half forgotten the cat was behind him. Quickly she slunk around him with a careful backwards glance, suddenly at odds with her finery.

"Tha' wuz close, kitten! Good thing yeh talk so pretty," She grinned up at him with incorrigible enthusiasm, "Least now we gots plenty o' gold, neh?"

Frowning at the cat and barely suppressing a sigh, his attention sharpened on the rainbow of banners that floated into view around the corner of the alley at the corner of the Third Temple's wall.

Coming forward and peering down the empty narrow road, Haku found a stone faced store pressed between the temple and the adjacent estate. Somewhat dilapidated and shabby, the structure was out of place amidst the regal splendor. It looked far more suited to the second if not the first level. And the alley was choked with the billowing reaching streamers. All manner of promises were painted in bold splashes of sumi ink across the silk flags festooning the eves and archways: love, riches, knowledge, and vengeance. The banners reached for them invitingly, jingling bells tied to their apexes, blowing and ringing on an eerie wind that seemed to breathe out of the shop's doorway. It smelled heavily of opium, the same cloying smoke that choked the listless alley on the First Level. And a chilling premonition blew through Haku as he stared under the thickly twisted shinegawa in the doorway into the dark press of the store's interior. He had the impression the rope was not to keep evil from entering, but instead to keep from leaving.

"Why is this place here?" Haku hushed.

With dilated red eyes and pricked velvet ears, Cinna peered around his elbow, clinging and hiding in his helmet's green veil.

"When t'Greater Gods an' even Buddha don' answer, kami turn t'whatever will. T'richies got money 'nought t'buy answers but they don' wanna go t'the First Level. So they keep Bah-Fu 'ere. Word round the Wheel says she's got answers fer anything."

That was encouragement enough. Coming forward cautiously, Haku parted the banners and stepped into the dark interior of the shop. Magic went surging up his spine, making him shudder as a bell rang somewhere in the distance.

"I know… I said _I know_!" A cantankerous voice snapped in the gloom.

Abruptly the bell silenced as a sputtering light fizzled to life. An orange lantern floating overhead blinked its eye; regarding them with a shifting wick of blue flame. With a hiss Cinna shrank behind him, seizing handfuls of his cloak as his illusion failed; because the mound of fabric in the chair beyond the wide bar dividing the shop straightened. It was not a haunted kimono but instead an old bat dressed in Chinese robes of green satin and black silk. Bah-Fu lifted her huge telescopic ears, scratching her ropy black wig with a long stick as the lobed snub of her tremulous fleshy nose twitched curiously. Shifting her enormous folded wings to her lap, the bat twiddled her spindly thumbs. Blinking sightless black eyes, she cocked her head from side to side, listening to their every move. Then she snuffled the air almost obsessively, leaning forward and reaching out to catch at the edge of the bar with a membraned claw. Only when the thick black iron clamped around her atrophied legs rattled loudly did Haku realized she was chained to the stone floor.

"I smell a question!" She rasped like a rattling jar full of dirt and sticks.

But he came up short on the edge of curiosity as the bat retrieved a roll of pale fragile paper from behind the bar. Weighting one end with a lump of jade carved like a toad she heedlessly tossed the other side, sending it whipping down the length of the bar and over the edge into obscurity. The inset rubies of the paperweight's eyes gleamed as bent over the snowy surface and chuckling in anticipation the bat's blank gaze roved back to him. His skin crawled as she lifted her nose and vigorously snuffling the air while jerking her head spasmodically.

"You smell like rain, but you also stink of loss. Tell Bah-Fu what you seek?"

Drawn forward by hope and the mystery of it all, Haku could not lie.

"A means to break a curse," he breathed reluctantly.

"I see…" She grinned as if she had said something amusing.

Haku recoiled from the zeal in her dry voice and the sharp points over her needled white teeth. Moving with swift economy at odds with her awkward frame, Bah-Fu produced another implement from behind the bar: a silver knife that stank of old blood. Immediately his hand was on Hanoane and the bat had thrown up a wing in warning as several lanterns flashed and fizzled to life overhead, glaring down at him with the licking blue tongues, illuminating shelves upon shelves of bleached white skulls, mostly human. The bat's macabre collection grinned at them from the back wall. At once Cinna was pulling him towards the door. But Haku resisted, wrenching himself free, because Bah-Fu's black marble eyes pinned him in place.

"Past, present, future: every being is a story to be read," She intoned, turning on him the point of a double edged dagger, "To know your tale you need only take hold."

Glancing for a moment at the skulls, Haku grasped the blade.

He gasped in pain as the bat jerked it backwards, slicing open his hand. But this she seized in her leathery grip. Hauling him forward with unnerving strength, Haku's knees knocked against the exterior of the bar as she dragged his lacerated palm back and forth across the surface of the white, smearing a crimson landscape of blood. Gritting his teeth he endured the searing agony until she tossed him backwards. Retreating until his back hit the opposite wall, Haku clenched his fist as hot red seeped between his fingers, staring askance at the bat as she began snuffling the paper frantically.

"Ah… Ah-ha- _ha!_ _Dragon!_ " Bah-Fu cried triumphantly, "You stink of pain not because I have cut you but because your river is gone! Oh, you have fallen far! And for what? For...? For…?!"

Here she madly circled back and forth over the bloody page.

"For love! Love? _Love_!?"

She blinked rapidly, scoffing at the answer. As if frustrated by what she had uncovered the bat dove back against the scroll. The wet sounds of her manic panting turned Haku's stomach. But he was already ill with pain as Cinna yanked again on his elbow. Again he tore himself free as Bah-Fu revealed things she could not possibly know.

"She was taken! Harmed but unharmed. Stolen even though she remains," Bah-Fu chuckled darkly, "Tricky, tricky, trick…The ocean is tricky!"

Finally Haku could contain himself no longer because all this he already knew.

"How do I lift the curse!? _Tell me!"_

Again she stuffed the paper against he nose, rubbing her face in it. And there was blood on the bat's cheeks as she surfaced with an ecstatic gasp.

"You have been gifted powerful tools, yet you use them not. You posses purifying salt, rope to bind, feathers that pierce, pitchy sticks that burn, water to heal, silver to cuts, and… And…?" Here the Bat grew confused; sniffing sideways the blood soaked paper as if unsure of its scent, "Wings! Wings to fly? Time without end? A… A key for any lock? Eyes that see all and a map for any way? What is this…?"

She spoke of Onsen's gifts, but still the bat gave him no answers.

"But how do I use them to wake Chihiro!?"

" _Stupid, boy!"_ Bah-Fu snarled, " _You_ cannot lift this curse! _You_ cannot wake the dreamer who refused to be woken!"

Striking the jade toad from the bar the bat crushed the paper in her wing, tossing it aside and grinning derisively.

"There is nothing _you_ can do!"

Stunned to stillness, Haku could only stare.

Throwing a handful of gold at the floor the cat was already towing him towards the exit. Meekly he followed, barely hearing anything over the ringing in his ears as suddenly he was sick and light headed.

"We's done!" Cinna spat furiously, already pulling him toward the door.

At once the mad bat snuffled the air as her blind eyes fixed on the cat.

"You cannot save them, kitty-kitty. Soon you will have to leave them both behind lest you fade away," Bah-Fu returned in a sigh hoarse with anticipation, "Give him to me? I am kinder than the spiders. Spare him Garuda's hands and let his sad short story end here."

Haku's head swam as the bat's ramblings made no sense. But he heard the threat in Bah Fu's far too near voice, just as he felt the ominous hovering of the blue tongued lantern overhead. Hanoane was in his hand. With a hiss the creatures recoiled from the mirrored blade. Blinking to clear his blurred vision, stumbling on the front steps, Haku dove through the doorway into the sea of lying banners. Hacking blindly, he cut them down as they caught on his arms, trying to pull him back.

Behind him Bah-Fu was cackling madly.

"There is nothing you can do! _Nothing!"_


	15. Chapter 15

**HAKU**

Haku's legs folded as he burst free from the forest of flags.

Gasping for breath with his back pressed to the wall of the Third Temple, Haku slide to the ground. Oh, how tired he was on kneeling in the dirt! Accustomed by now to being roughly handled by the cat, he did not resist as she shoved her hand down the front of his kimono and yanked the sloshing gourd from within. Numbly he watched as she doused his lacerated palm with camphor water. It was red and sticky with still welling blood. Eventually pain reached him, making him wince as she massaged the cut until it washed away in the bloody water. Critically she inspected his palm, making sure it was whole. While she worked the shamisen on her back plinked and plunked at great length. Tomoe's music was shrill and anxious. Whatever the instrument said was beyond him, but not the cat.

" _Tch!_ Don' listen t'tha' dumb bat, Tommie! She's _nuts_!"

Cinna shoved the gourd down his shirt only to fall still where she crouched at his knees. She was so close her twitching whiskers brushed his chest. Her eerily red eyes dilated in the gloom until they were mirrors in the dark.

"So wot if y'can' wake who don' wanna wake!? Dontcha give up! We's gonna find Chihiro then yeh's gonnachange 'er mind!"

She seemed so certain. Haku wanted very badly to share her conviction.

But he could not.

The bat's words had shaken him to his core. What was worse, Suzume had given the almost the exact same pronouncement as Bah Fu. And so he had come to this horrible place hoping there was some way that eluded him, some bit of magic, be it God or artifact, which might somehow assist him. Because he had already tried to _make_ Chihiro remember. He had tried with all the strength inside his heart to wake her so many times, only to fail. What was worse, his efforts were hurting her, pulling her further and further from him until she fled Kumomi entirely. And in his stubbornness he had followed thinking that he could find another way. But these hopes proved to be folly.

Bitterly he heard the fox's words again.

They rang in his head like the temple bell behind him, tolling sonorously.

 _Kohakunushi, you must learn to live without her._

Impossible!

 _Be glad you are alive, Kohakunushi. In enduring one can always find hope._

Hope? What hope!? He had not realized until this moment that this had been the only thing holding him up. Despair flooded his insides like a winter storm, weighting him down with snow. Because now he had nothing, not even hope.

Oblivious to his inner turmoil, the cat prattled on.

"Shitamatchi's nah good no more. _S'changed!_ An' aye's startin' t'think i's gonna be better 'an down ' _ere_."

Cinna flattened her ears timidly as she lifted her gaze to the distant stone ceiling.

"Aye got nothin' fer us top-side. Aye don' got no friends 'r' places t'go. S'not my world, kitten, bu' yeh cun pass fer human. Yeh cun do wot aye can'. Aye know's ah little bit, bu' we's gonna ha' t'learn together, neh?"

On her back the shamisen strummed and plinked a chipper tune.

"S'ah good idea, Tommie, 'e says maybe t'kid cun help us."

Haku jerked upright only to hit his head on the wall. But even as he cringing, rubbing the back of his tiny skull, he came alive again.

Satako! He had almost forgotten about the child in the midst of the under-city's madness. Satako knew where Chihiro could be found. And something in what the cat said lodged in his mind. He had done everything he could as a God only to fail. He could barely survive in this world, nor should he. He was no longer a God and it was time he accepted that! He would not let Chihiro go, he would not abandon her to the curse in hopes that Sen, the spirit of magic inside her, would someday reawake. Instead of thinking as a kami, instead of using dreams and magic, perhaps it was time to make use of what had been afforded him by his choice?

Perhaps it was time to try as a human?

"Apologies," Haku murmured, forced to clear his throat, "In my weakness I have become a child once more."

"Eh?" Cinna's velvet black ears swiveled in confusion.

"I began this journey to become worthy of what I seek. Until this moment I had walked as a child. I cannot continue in this way any longer."

"Yeh's makin' nae sense, kitten," With a pretty puzzled moue that pulled her painted lips into a bow, she hauled him to his feet and dusted him off in a chorus of bells jingle, "S'probably hunger talkin'. Let's gitcha back t'The Sparrow's Nest, neh?"

Wordlessly Haku followed as she towed him behind her, leading the past empty mansions until they were skulking through the edges of the great open square, hiding in the shadows of the glowing toadstool garden as they drew near the Third Gate. The boar was still pacing back and forth beneath the lintel with his spear held lightly. As he had last time the guard gazed longingly at the tea shops around the corner. The boar sidled to the right, craning his neck as if searching for someone, leaving the left side of the gate exposed. Hidden behind the swelling dew soaked body of an enormous orange cap, Cinna's eyes drew slitted as they fixed on the periodic gap left by the pig. At once she was wearing her black gi, crouching in the dirt and drawing on her mask.

"S'no good t'hide, kitten, y'stink like _mortal_ blood an' tha's gonna put t'guard in a tizzy. We's gonna ha' t'run."

"That is something I can do," Haku drew on his mask as well, "Hold on."

"Eh?" Cinna looked up at him sharply as he took her hand.

But there was no time to explain. As Haku stood he put a wind beneath his feet and ran, pulling the cat behind him. Like an arrow from a bow they shot through the gap beneath the gate, at the bottom of the stairs before the boar saw them. The guard was knocked from his feet by the force of the gale that flooded in Haku's wake.

"Hey!" He shouted angrily as he sprawled on the steps, " _Stop!_ "

But they did not. Leaping over a centipede drawn cart twice his size, sending shrieks and calls rising off the startled crowds of merchants in the road, Haku plunged into the alley opposite.

"Guards! _Guards!_ "

The boar's call to arms faded behind them as they wound through the tight narrow spaces, startling to squeals a toadish kami hauling out his trash. Haku hurtled over the kami's head as he pitch to the side, running across walls and shutters of the closely packed buildings as the squall at his back built stronger and stronger. His feet barely struck the stones now. Haku's heart thrilled into his throat as magic sang and throbbed in his veins, because this was the closest he had come to flying in a very long time.

"Stop!" Cinna screeched.

Haku came to a halt on the emerald velvet of a very familiar carpet of moss. And at the last moment he whipped the cat around into the lee of the side alley. Cinna threw herself at the wall and clung to the stones as the windstorm behind them finally caught up. It ripped her tatter cloak free from her back, making her catch the shamisen before it could fall. The instruments sting hummed and sang as the fierce wind sent them vibrating. As if dancing to the ghosts' spontaneous song, Haku dove into its midst of the rippling wall of air Haku parted it around him, turning and whirling at its core as he urged it past, sending it pouring down the alley. No doubt the guards would pursue the rouge wind thinking it was them. And so he turned it loose, watching windows and back doors tear open as the screaming gale poured down the alley.

Stripped to the skin of all smell besides wind and rain, Haku was left panting in the middle of the debris strewn back passage. At once the shamisen strummed over and again high golden chords lovely to the ear. Windswept and wide-eyed, Cinna glared at the instrument in her arms.

"S'not funny!"

Haku realized that this was the sound of Tomoe's laughter, which only intensified and continued as the cat stomped her foot. Tearing off her cloak she smothered the shamisen in the garment of her soul. Unfortunately it did nothing to muffle the sound, which continued as she slung him onto her back.

"Yeh's _crazy_!" She hissed, shoving up her mask, "Yeh's _both_ crazy!"

As she stormed out of the alley Haku followed, hastily drawing on his hood. A cloud of red lanterns were clustered above the front gate of The Sparrow's Nest, escorting and welcoming customers who trickled in wearing modest clothes and laughing openly. Suddenly Haku found himself relieved to be back on the Second Level.

"C'mon, kitten," she took his arm, "Let's gitcha some rest."

Instead of taking him the back way, Cinna tugged him through the front door.

"Welcome! Welcome!"

Unfamiliar Spider woman in modest striped kimono bowed as they came under the cloud of red, hiding furtively behind a group of smallish sour faced blue-oni. As they climbed the stairs leading through the massive circular door flanked by stone shi-shi (1) before them opened a huge tatami mat room with a high beamed ceiling. The Golds and green of the décor gleamed in the pale white lanterns diffidently floated in the rafters, fleeing gouts of tobacco smoke filtered from the glowing pipes of the customers. And the sliders along the far wall were open offering a view of the enormous fungus garden. Rare blues winked among the usual magentas and greens. Inside and along the veranda low tables thronged the room, ringed with plush black cushions on which beasts, bats, and demons lounged and laughed. Haku had yet to see any bird kami in Shitamachi. He doubted that any creatures of the sky would enjoy being below for long.

Curiosity, however, got the better of him. And so it did for the cat as. They fell back against the rear wall, stepping out of the path of the entering visitors and swooping servers, watching the inn. Tea, sake, and every manner of drink were served by the roving many-armed waitresses who flitted on their tiny bare feet throughout the room. Haku was subdued for a moment by the delicious smells wafted through the layers of curtains along the opposite wall as Taisho cooked up a storm to feed the Gods.

"Tha' used t'be my job, neh?" Cinna's trailed the servers with heavy red eyes that suddenly flicked to the tables, "Always wanted t'know wot i' wuz like t'sit a' these tables… Neh? Wanna drink, kitten?"

As wistful as the cat sounded, Haku cared not for food or drink. All he could think of was the dusty futon on the floor of the tiny room tucked high under the eaves. Then a shrill laugh drew his attention to the sumptuous table at the head of the room. Waited on by a horde of spider woman in expensive kimono, cozened right in front of a raised stage as if he could see, was the skinny blind mole.

Gichi: that was his name.

The reedy kami was first son and proprietor of the inn.

Sitting next to him as if he loathed the very floor he sat upon, was Pops. The hulking mole had traded his moss garb for an outlandish pink. His unfortunate garb was no doubt punishment for his earlier defiance. Because dancing on the stage to an out of tune shamisen and koto duet played by a single spider was Jouma. Sinuously the queen spider moved beneath a flotilla of red lanterns, twirling and winding her many sleeves in fluid flowing motions. She was not as unskilled as the cat had led him to believe, but she gyrated and parading so ostentatiously that Haku was hard pressed not to laugh. The cheep movements robbed her of all grace and poise, which made her dance more suited to the first level than the second.

Cinna tail bristled and lashed as she saw as he saw.

"Tch… Look a' tha'!"

"I would rather not." Haku returned crisply, earning himself an amused snort as from the cat's back the shamisen chuckled in a low strummed chord.

"Aye don' wanna drink no more… C'mon, kitten."

But at the sound of Tomoe's voice one of the Gods seated closest to them, a spotted rabbit man, glanced back at them only to spin around on his cushion and gawk.

"There she is! It's _her_!"

Cinna recoiled right into him as the rabbit all but pointed in her face.

"Who?" His wife, a caramel colored bunny looked over her shoulder dubiously.

"That's the cat who was dancing earlier. She must be staying here."

"The one you were telling us about?" A bulbous-eyed frog wife effused in a croak. She wore a rich green kimono and expensive hair pins, "Oh, I want to see too!"

"Aye's not dancin' no more!" She hissed at the table.

"Oh, don't be like!" A dog-woman at adjacent table cajoled. She had been eavesdropping shamelessly. Her tail thumped the floor with enthusiasm, "I was at the tea house too. You're amazing! I've never seen anything like you."

"That's it! I have t'see!" The frog started a chant, "Dance! Dance! Dance!"

Clutching Tomoe closer Cinna shrank as word spread thru the inn like wildfire. The shoddy music ceased abruptly as Jouma shouted from the stage.

"I _am_ dancing, you idiots!"

A drunken pair of turtles in the middle of the room guffawed lewdly.

"S'tha' so?"

"We though maybe ah mosquito'd bit yeh!"

The chant ceased as laughter tittered through the crowd.

Jouma sputtered furiously, " _Why you insolent_ …!"

"Neh-neh, Jouma!" The frog wife was on her feet, waving the spider aside as she shook her heavy money pouch, "Share the stage, will yah!? I'll pay!"

Haku blinked with a frown. Since were Gods so obsessed with money?

"Yeah, us too!" The turtles picked up, "We've seen everything you got anyhow."

More raucous laughter came from their table that shared its way round the room.

"We wanna see t'cat dance!" Someone else shouted from the crowd.

"Cat?!" Gichi queried curiously, "Is there a cat?"

Standing straight and tall so that her flamboyantly coiffed hair nearly brushed the rafters, Jouma turned all four of her dangerous red eyes across the crowd. The moment they hit the cat Haku had Cinna's arm, ready to run again if necessary. He had not, however, expected the spider to laugh.

" _HA!_ " Jouma's derisive cackle was dripping with scorn, "She's nothing but a _scullery maid!_ "

At once every hair on Cinna's body stood on end as her tail bristled out twice its size. Haku tightened his grip on her arm as Pop glanced back at them. Somehow the mole's sightless eyes found him. Furtively the hulking kami vigorously shook his head. So distracted was he that he lost his grip on the cat. She strode forward, jumping up on frog wife's table as she stabbed a claw at the stage.

"Betcha aye cun dance better an' yeh, _whore spider!_ "

Laughs and screams flew to the rafters as the Jouma's gaze turned to pure murder. The unspoken threat inspired in Haku such a surge of protective rage. What he intended to do was beyond him, but Cinna brought him up short as she unslung Tomoe from her back and shoved him into Haku's hands.

"Oh, this is getting good!" Frog wife chuckled darkly before she clambered up onto the table and shouted at the room, "Five to one odds on the cat!"

" _You're crazy!"_ Someone answered back incredulously.

" _Ten on Jouma!"_ Another jeered.

At once the inn filled with a din of shouting as bets flew from all sides. Abruptly the room squared off against itself as camps formed. Suddenly adrift in a sea of greed, Haku found himself at a loss as gold and silver rained on the table top. Sick to his stomach at the sight, Haku silently appealed to Pops for assistance only to find the hulking kami shoving his way between the kitchen curtains. A hesitant horde of spider waitresses parted way for him only to converge in a swarm, clustered around the kitchen curtains watching the tense hall with their many eyes.

"Oh, I do enjoy a bit of sport, don't you Pomo-kun!" Gichi giggled, unaware that his brother had quitted the table.

Haku jumped as Cinna stomped.

A chorus of bells struck the room as Okesa no Sado stood atop the table.

All around them Gods gasped and recoiled. Even Haku found himself stunned by the cat's transformed. Her triple-layered kimono gleamed in the pale lantern light; a tribute to Shitamachi itself. The shifting haze of her outer robe came alive with pouring embroidered veils of the misting sapphire cataracts that poured from the granite dome of the ceiling outside. These eddied in whirlpools at the feet of the glistening gold rocks appliquéd at the thickly padded hem. Jeweled centipedes and slugs hide among emerald fungus and amethyst toadstools glowing atop the islands tucked into the silver roots of the great root castle. Swelling branches clambered at the foot of her kimono, undulating to her back where they climbed her narrow body, spreading over her shoulders and sleeves. Chocolate and crimson under-robes bleed thru at collar and cuff as the copper brocade of her wide obi bore a great green wheel turning in endless patterns round and round her tiny waist. Jet and bronze bats darted to and fro on the hinged pins in her piled black hair her. The ruby jewels of their inset eyes gleamed above her perfect white face. Okesa's bloody eyes were as cold as the grim painted bow of her red lips.

Silver and gold flashed as she threw her hip to the side challengingly.

Her fans flashed as the corded bells on their hafts rang in the awed silence.

Finally free from the spell the cat had cast, Haku glanced at frog wife as she pushed away from the table with fat sticky fingers, taking her seat beside dog woman. The blonde creature was panting in anticipation, grinning yellowed teeth while glancing back and forth between the cat and the spider.

Sparing his eyes for the stage, Haku found Jouma had gone still as stone. The Spider Queen was already pale due to the paint on her face marble white face. Blinking rapidly, Jouma shook herself, rising up as her robes changed as her many eyes narrowed dangerously. At once she was garbed in a low necked kimono of vertical yellow, red and black stripes (2). The narrow obi of brocaded black hour-glasses was the only thing keeping the scandalous dress on the spider's body. Jouma's face could hardly be seen amidst the foil web of streamers hanging from the forest of pins in her hair. Winding her long hanging sleeves round her many hands, the spider showed a great deal of creamy white leg as she stomped her bare foot on the stage, showing her red painted toes.

Jouma's sister spider pushed aside the koto and took up a ivory white shamisen. The creature looked on him with dour eyes as she struck the golden strings. Instantly Tomoe returned the music via his hands, much to Haku's surprise. Under the ghosts control he folded to a seat on the corner of the table, trading twanging challenges. Over and over their fragmented call issued back and forth until there came a moment of silence.

Here Okesa and Jouma stomped together a third and final time.

With the challenge accepted, the contest began.

Together Haku and the spider began a flowing duet that was as tense as it was brisk. (3) At once the air in the hall became charged with anticipation, because this was a duel like any other, and they struggled to out match each other. Without hesitation Haku turned himself over Tomoe. The shamisen took control of his hands, turning his pale fingers to flashes of lightening against the black lacquered bar of the shamisen's neck. Paling to match her instrument, the sister spider at once realized who was master of the music, at once struggling to keep up, which left only the dance to be decided.

Following the quick tempo of the melody, the cat and spider moved in unison while watching each other with gazes so sharp they cut the air of the room. Flashing the red sides of her gold and silver fans to match the complicated movements of spider's furling winding sleeves, Okesa followed, moving with liquid grace even as Jouma tried to confound the cat with her many hands. At first they were evenly matched, but then the cat the cat released the bells she held in her hands. The bells rang to the song like a swiftly beating heart. Okesa molded her body around and through the music until she owned it. The change came over Jouma in the brief pause at the heart of the melody. It crept so slowly it took the spider a moment to realize the cat owned her also.

Confidence drained from her face as she continued to dance, but no longer in unison with the cat. In a great flashing whirl Okesa cart wheeled off the table like she had become the Great Wheel itself. She caught air at the edge, tucking up into a spin before hitting the tatami with a spring. The spider was forgotten, the cat minced and high-stepped her way backwards and forwards around the tables, flirting with the darting winks of her ruby eyes. And Tomoe affected their song with an off-beat tempo to match the cat's flowing syncopated moves. (4) Haku had never before seen such dancing! In comparison Jouma's dancing seem wooden and stiff. But the spider could not stop, even as frustration and confusion clearly showed on her face.

By now Okesa not only owned the song and the spider, she owned the crowd. They laughed and cheered as she swayed in circles around Gichi, teasing and tickling, making the skinny blind mole laugh as she sidled past, stepping up onto his table. Whirling and spinning fans on fingers so swiftly they cut the air, Cinna minced the length of the table in reverse only to toss both high over her shoulders. Back flipping onto the stage, she caught them mid-air before flicking them closed and tucking them into her obi. Without pausing she vaulted forward, springing off Gichi's table with her hands, arching high over the blind mole, clearing three tables of gawking Gods as the strumming shamisen intensified. Landing, bounding again off the tatami, over frog wife's head, Okesa landed beside Haku coyly gazing over the edge of her fan just as the song ended.

" _The winner!"_ Frog wife pointed her folded fan at the cat.

Applause erupted in the hall as every God cheered in agreement.

By now Jouma had lapsed to stillness on the stage.

No longer spelled by dance and song, the spider fled in quaking defeat.

Overwhelmed by their enthusiasm and afraid of their numbers, Haku found his feet beside the cat holding Tomoe close. At once Okesa tucking her fan into her obi, hooking her arm through his as she produced a spinning red umbrella from thin air. Again she threw her hip to the side in a chorus of bells. The unruly Gods lapsed into silence, finding their seat, watching with anticipation the spinning the parasol on her extended finger. Enigmatically the cat lifted her chin, again flirting with her eyes as she spun it faster and faster until she dipped it between them and the crowd.

Haku's knees jarred as he found himself standing in the middle of the kitchen. In a clatter of dishes and plates Taisho whirled holding his pot lid shield, brandishing the sharp knives of his fingers. At once Hanoane was in his hand and they both came up short, bowing apologetically and retreating from each other awkwardly.

" _Woo!_ Aye won!" The cat squealed, "Showed tha' _stupid_ spider who's best!"

Still dressed in her dancing finery, the cat minced and stepped her way around the kitchen, moving to a music of her own making. In the hall the crowd had begun to chant. The pounding of their hand and feet vibrated the very floor.

" _Neko-san! Neko-san!"_

After a moment's confusion Haku realized they did not know Okesa's name.

The mole, however, was not moved.

Wearing his moss robes again, bent beside the singed remainder of the pink shirt still smoldering on a brazier at the center of the table, Pops made no reply. He was moodily drawing long curls of white smoke from his glowing pipe.

" _Awww_ , wotcha sour fer, neh?" in a jingling of bells she folded up beside him with pretty glances the mole could never see, "Aincha happy? Aye got 'er good, Pops!"

"Child," he pronounced dourly, "What was that about not poking hornet's nests?"

Cinna made a moue, "You's t'one tha' said i' was fun!"

"Okesa, what you did just now… You didn't poke the hornet's nest. You tore it down and stomped on it! ," putting aside his pipe the mole took her tiny hands in his great paws as fear rendered his usually booming voice into a whisper, "Jouma will retaliate."

"Not if aye _kill_ 'er first!" The cat growled viciously as her gaze went wild.

The mole seemed shaken by her reply.

"Have you grown so blood thirsty that you can kill so easily?"

Slowly Cinna faded back into a tattered black cat with dirty hands and feet.

" _She killed Shurui!"_

Haku barely heard her, her whisper was so terse.

"Child, you don't know that," consolingly the mole put a massive paw on her head, "Shitamachi has become a terrible place. Kami are killed every day. We may never know what happened to Shurui."

Refusing to look at the mole she stared instead through the floor, seeing into another time filled with dark things. Watching from the opposite side of the room, still holding the cat's shamisen, Haku knew he was seeing through the window of the her past. Cinna's ears folded as her tail tucked around her ankles. She shrank even smaller, huddling into the kami as if trying to hide in the heaping molehill the creature comprised.

"Aye know…!" Cinna hissed beneath her breath, "Aye _know_ cuz aye wuz _there_!"

The mole jerked up his hand as if she had bitten him.

"W-what did you say?!"

"I' wuz jus' ah _k-kitten_!" In a guilt stricken rush the cat continued, clinging to his sleeve as if expecting Pops to tear away, "W-wuz _hidin'_ so's didn' ha' t'work!"

"F-fell asleep in t'cabinet an' when aye woke up they wuz _fightin'_. Jouma didn' like dancin' second. Shurui told 'er she wuzn' ready t'dance first. So Jouma _k-killed_ 'er! Killed 'er 'cause Shurui wuz ah better dancer."

"Bit her an' rolled 'er up in silk an' watched till she stopped movin'…! Aye saw an' aye wuz so scared! S'why aye ran! Aye's _s-sorry_ , Pops! _Aye's so sorry!_ "

Pops's face drew into deep ravines of worry, "Who have you told, child?!"

"Nobody til now. Aye's no weaklin' no more! Ain't scared o' ' _er_!"

As Cinna surfaced from his sleeve the stranger stared out of her eyes. Tightening his grip on Tomoe, Haku stared askance at the cat as his jaw tightened to the point of pain. It was a terrible sight to see her disappear so completely into hate. As a long moment of silence filled with only the crackling of fire and the muffled clink of Taisho's uncomfortable shifting, the mole gently put his hand back on her head. It lingered there until the bloodlust faded. Again the cat hid her face in the huge creature's arm.

"You have never been weak, Okesa," Pops murmured as affection softened the canyons of his scowl, "And I'm glad you've finally come home."

Fearfully Cinna snatched hold of his robe as the mole stood stiffly.

"N-neh! W-wotcha y'gonna do?"

"Something I should have done a long time ago. I'm going to tell Gichi what he needs to hear." Unworried and unhurried, he patted her hand, "Taisho; make these two something to eat while I see my fool of a brother."

The Dish God saluted smartly before stoking the flames in his hearth as the mole shuffled by and pushing between the curtains, dwarfing the archway in his passing. All this Haku watched silently, waiting until he was quite sure the mole could not hear him. In the hall the raucous Gods were still shouting and making quite a commotion, no doubt squabbling over their winnings. In spite of the exhaustion in his aching bone, Haku was quite sure they should leave immediately. But as he turned to the cat he found Cinna at Taisho's hearth, roving from pot to pan with the dish God hovering in her wake.

"Tha' good! Yeh's ah good cook, Tai-Tai!" She grinned after licked the finger she had just dipped into the vessel, "Cun aye has some o' tha'?"

Obviously smitten and eager to please, the cook summoned a cup from the stack of his arm and ladled a spoonful into the vessel he added to orbiting cluster of plates and bowls full of the food already hovering above his head. As he watched the cat Haku could not call her away, not without giving her a chance to say goodbye.

"We should leave, Tomoe." He whispered to the shamisen.

The ghost plinked sympathetically at great length.

Unfortunately what was said remained lost on Haku.

* * *

 **LIN**

Struggling to stay unseen Lin flattered herself against the hospital wall.

Lin's skin still prickled with tight discomfort as electricity humming inside the walls, floors, and ceiling. Even more unnerving were the too close humans. Dressed in pale outlandish garb that covered their faces, heads, and feet, they swarmed in and out of the wide archway opposite her. Lin caught only glimpses inside through the madly swinging doors as the runners came and went.

Inside was an army of flashing metal machines wreathed in cords and tubes beeped in shrill alarm. These ringed the bed as if battling the humans for access to the still body that lay under a sea of blue sheets. Through a hole in the expansive cloth the blonde doctor worked with swift economy. As her hands withdrew from the sheets the plastic glove glistened with wet red that glowed in the caustic buzzing fluorescent lights.

Lin gagged, overwhelmed as the stink of blood and chemicals.

Turning with her only hand clamped over her mouth Lin fled for the next room. At once the kits began struggling in her gut as if sensing her horror. Easily she slipped between the hinged doors, shrinking into the cool shadows until her children fell still inside her. Dropping her hand to the domed swell of her belly Lin struggled to slow her ragged breathing. Thankfully her time of birthing was still a month away. It wasn't good to excite them like this. But she had no choice.

She had to know he was alright.

Again terror pitched her heart into her throat, pushing her away from the wall just as it had driven her into this thoroughly _human_ place. Blessedly the lights were all dim and she didn't need to struggle to remain unseen. But the smell of pain in this room was no less sharp than the corridor. And a slow steady beep sounded from box of tin behind the white curtain drawn round the bed. The machine crackled and fizzled as she skirted it cautiously. Because beneath the humming searing electrical smells hung a sickeningly sweet stink Lin was all too familiar with. It was smell of burned flesh. Inching forward, nervously glancing again and again at the doors, Lin crept to the foot of the bed and fell to stillness.

Amano's back was turned towards her, rising and falling slowly.

The muscles of his left shoulder and arm were covered in thick bandages.

Slowly they were staining yellow.

His broken nose was into the pillow and his face was drawn tight with pain.

Lines and tubes were taped into the crook of his uninjured arm.

But he was alive.

As her knees wobbled Lin wilted with relief. Although she started upright as the human's eyes cracked. Unfocused with pain they blinked, searching the foot of the bed. Amano's irises were ringed with an eerie gray that seemed to grow with every day he spent at the Onsen. In a year, maybe even a handful of months, they would be completely colorless just like Reika's.

"Don't hide," he muttered as if annoyed, "I know you're there."

Drawing back her hood, Lin grimaced, feeling the scar on her face pull tightly.

"You and I are gonna match, human."

Amano snorted as a lop-sided smirked pulled his chapped face. He was missing an eyebrow and the left side of his hair was singed short.

"Dunno… I think I'm prettier."

The jest in his words, however, didn't reach his eyes. At once he folded in on himself as if overwhelmed by pain, gripping the railing with his unburned hand. Lin was beside him, fretting and frustrated as she found herself at a loss for what to do. She was no good with soft words; no good with comfort. All she could think to do was cover his hand with hers. And for a moment it didn't matter who was human and who wasn't; because he was part of her family.

"Ah, you're so _cold!_ " Amano breathed raggedly, relaxing as the spasm of pain passed. Here he breathed the names like a plea, "Kiri 'n' Kai?"

Lin hardened with resolve, "I'll bring them."

Amano's hand tightened on hers, pulling her to a stop.

"N-not yet… I need t'get this off my chest," Again he was struggling. The human's face drew into grim lines that had nothing to do with pain, "We shouldn'a gone out in that heap! T'main engine was shot. I know engines an' I knew it was a _dumb-shit_ idea but we went anyway. Didn' have t'money for repairs yet but t'fish were _boilin'_ in t'water! I've never seen so many fish in my life!"

For a moment he was grinning in excitement.

But his face fell, going pale as his eyes lifted to hers.

"We were just coming back. T'main engine must've ruptured 'cause t'whole fuckin' _boat_ jumped an' started belchin' black smoke! Izzie called me down t'help fix it. I went with an extinguisher but then there was an explosion. That woulda been _it_ for me an' t'crew! Tha' blow woulda taken t'whole junker down if _he_ hadn't been there!"

Lin didn't want to hear this.

She didn't want to know how close he had come to death.

But something he said brought her up short.

Her brow tightened, making the scars pull, "Who?"

"Hidé."

Amano was looking through the wall as if seeing out to the ocean.

"There was _fire_ everywhere. My sleeve caught on the burning fuel. Then sea water came surging in thru t'portholes an' I thought we were sinking! Then t'water was gone an' t'fire was out an' the coastguard was everywhere!"

Abruptly Amano's face cleared as something flashes behind his eyes. He grabbed her by the empty sleeve of her kimono, hauling her close as his panic stricken face twisted with grim agony.

"Tell me Izuko's alright!" He demanded, "Tell me he's with Nani and his boys!"

More than startled, Lin blinked as her insides sank. Because she had not known the human in the other room belonged to the kind faced grocery clerk. She'd heard Nani speak of her husband many times. The human female nattered on about him like a love-sick bird. The human's two younglings very strongly resembled their father.

And she could not do these things for him.

She could not lie.

Her silence was answer enough. What little color he had drained from his face as he struggled to sit up. Hard pressed to be gentle Lin planted her only hand on the broken-nosed human's unburned shoulder and shoved him back against the bed.

"Lay down, you _stupid_ human!"

Suddenly he went limp, falling back onto the bed. Reaching after him in shock Lin bumped into the swiftly beeping metal box as it shrilled loudly. For a moment the jumping green light upon its face flew up and down in a frenzied dance before it sparked and shorted out, falling to silence. Tentatively Lin shook him only to realize his eyes were rolled back in his head, showing nothing but white beneath the fluttering lids. Stumbling away, knocking the bed and making it skitter aside, Lin whirled on her heel, ready to catch and drag the human doctor back to the room if necessary.

Ungainly with panic, she tripped on her own feet.

She should have fallen flat on her face.

Instead she fell right into Suzume's waiting arms.

* * *

 **Notes:**

Shi-shi are the guardian lion/dogs often seen in Chinese architecture. They also appear in Japanese culture as well.

Jorogumo, lit. whore spiders, are a sub-group of the tsuchigumo yokai, earth spider demons. They are often associated with caves beneath waterfalls in the mountains and are usually always unkind creatures. These are actually based on a real type of spider that occurs in Japan, _Nephila clavata._ These spiders are black with yellow and red stripes. Jouma reverts to her true colors because she is under duress.

The song they play is Yoshida Brother's _Storm_.

Think traditional dance with a bit of break-dancing thrown in for good measure.


	16. Chapter 16

**HAKU**

Haku ate lightly.

But Cinna gorged herself to the point of catatonia.

He had to carry the cat piggy back up the narrow rack of stairs backing the kitchen. Unfortunately he became half lost in the narrow maze of corridors, forced to follow the smell of smoke to the tiny room beneath the eaves. He had to bow to enter, careful not to hit the cat's head on the lintel. Snoring and purring at the same time, she kneaded his shoulders absently, pricking him now and again with her claws. Cinna sighed in contentment as he eased her onto the dusty futon, handing her the shamisen as she sleepily reached for Tomoe like a child. Kneeling on the edge of her futon, Haku watched her curl around the instrument, holding it close as it afraid it might be taken away. He started as she rolled over and tucked herself against his knees, purring loudly as he gently stroked a hand over the short mess of her inky black hair.

Overcome by the strange emotions that surged through his chest, tightening in his throat, Haku turned away. And Tomoe strummed soothingly, whether for the cat or him Haku was unsure. Not needing any encouragement, he poured down onto the lumpy musty futon beside the cat. It was too small and his heels rested on the hard floor. But Haku did not care. Letting out a long sigh, he closed his eyes and lifted the mask from his face. Rubbing his clammy cheeks he listened to the distant sounds of Shitamatchi. He opened the window's paper slider a handbreadth. Gazing through the misty veils pouring against the perpetual twilight, crossed by the dull glowing band of false stars, Haku was forced to admit that Cinna was right. It was beautiful.

Distantly the Third Level temple bell rang, tolling a nameless hour.

And his eyes fluttered as the lids grew heavier and heavier.

They closed until a distant clattering of dishes woke him.

Jerking upright Haku blinked blearily for he had been too exhausted to dream. It was disorienting not to dream and sleep clung to him even after his eyes opened. He very sorely wanted a bath, which was another purely human affliction. His body seemed to accumulate grime and sweat at an alarming rate. And it took him a moment to realize Cinna was no longer with him nor was Tomoe. Dishes rattled and crashed in the kitchen. Haku sighed as he climbed to his feet, wearily placing the heavy mask over his face and drawing his hood. The gluttonous cat was probably at Taisho's hearth coaxing the Dish God to cook for her every whim. She would grow fat in this place.

He was down the hall and poised on the last step before he caught the scent.

The smell ran up the stairs like filthy water.

Blood… God's blood…!

All the warmth in the world drained away as his arms and legs turned wooden with dread. His heart was thunder in his ears so swiftly he felt faint at the clamorous sound. Feeling tiny and weak in his fragile body, Haku called his cloak closely, willing it to become the armor he had worn on the day the Forgotten was destroyed. Drawing a shuddering breath, struggling to make not a sound, he took Hanoane from her sheath and used the mirrored blade to peer around the corner of the stairs.

Smashed to pieces, a pile of china was pinned to the floor by layers of silk.

It took him a moment to recognize the ruin that had been Taisho.

The dish God still struggled, clinking and rattling beneath the white webbing.

It was spattered with bright red blood.

Ever hair on Haku's body stood on end as a shrill sound struck the room with an eerie keen only to snap off and silence. As it did a familiar female voice chuckled darkly making Taisho madly heaved against the impenetrable net that held him. But the Dish God fell still as the shadows in the cups of his eyes fell on him. The kami stared pleadingly as Haku stepped from the stairs, inching through the shadows to the corner of the hall, again using his blade to see around the corner. He almost dropped Hanoane at what he saw. On the floor beside the table in a lake of red lay a mound of moss.

The mole was dead; Haku knew this with certainty.

Jouma stood with one of her bloody bare feet planted in the middle of his back. Still wearing her stripes and widow's obi, the spider clutched Tomoe in the claws of her many hands. One of his three strings was snapped, curled up in a silver spiral that was bleeding drops of red. The jorogumo wound the second string to its breaking point with eager fingers.

Then someone moaned wretchedly. For a moment Haku's insides thrilled with hope that perhaps he was mistaken, perhaps Pops was alive. But then Jouma's bloody red eyes came alive with unspeakable enjoyment as her second bloody foot ground the tiny bundled form pinned beneath the silk stretched across the table. Bite marks rittled the white and poison had rendered whatever was beneath.

"Who's best now, _stupid cat_!?" The spider chuckled merrily.

The shamisen screamed a shrill note as the second length of silver snapped.

Fear died in Haku's heart at the sound.

The empty hollow it left swiftly filled with burning hate. He had never felt such rage before! Oh, how it burned inside him! The world sharpened to such clarity as it took him for its own, moving him forward. Hanoane was suddenly clenched between his teeth so he might draw bow and arrow from the fold at front of his armor. With absolute certainty he fitted the red fletching to the string, drawing to his chin. Whirling round the corner with speed he knew not he possessed, Haku let the bolt fly. It flew true, striking her square in the chest before it burst into flames.

Jouma let loose a warbling screech as she dropped Tomoe. The shamisen caught against the webbing on the table as the spider threw herself into the opposite wall, dousing herself in the sink. Haku loosed another burning arrow only to have it knocked aside and smothered by a mouthful of silk. Her pale skin blistered around the blackened shaft as the spider clambered up the wall into the rafters, hissing furiously as she flung sharpened bolts of deadly silk.

Deftly slipping the bow back into his armor, Haku stepped around each lance without worry, taking the blade from his teeth and summoning a burst wind beneath his feet. The gale sent him ricocheting off the floor. Weightlessly he spun mid-air, bounding off the cross beam above the spider's head, blocking her escape at the skylights as he struck with a razor's edge of silver. Hard pressed and shocked by his speed, Jouma sacrificed a hand as she caught his sword and threw him against the wall. Wind met his back before stone, propelling him away as Haku twisted the blade.

Again Jouma's hollow wail echoed off the walls as she lost a hand and her grip. Bright blood smeared a grim landscape on the bare wall as she plunging from the rafters, hitting the floor with such force that the entire building shook. Haku fell like a hawk in her wake, vindicated as terror shattered her face. The spider scrambling back against the hearth as his sword missed her by fractions, cutting the red band that held her piled hair high. Thick cedar planks shattered beneath the impact of the blade, sending splinters flying as the spider spat a furling net of silk at him. With a punch of wind from his fist he threw it back at her, giving chase as the web tangled her arms and hair. Jouma scrambled across the metal grates on the hearth, sullying the room with the smell of burned flesh and hair as the angry blue God flames snapped at her viciously, turning the webbing on her body to ash. Free again, Jouma heaved her smoking body over onto the atrium, snatching up Taisho's knives as she whirled to face him.

" _I'll kill you!"_

Baring bloody fangs, her smoldering robes ripped and split as her body stretched huge and spindly. The rest of Jouma's pale skin flaked and blistered until it became black and hard like the burn, glistening with striped reds and yellows. With the flashing knifes she lashed at him, spitting poison that burned the floor like acid. Haku vaulted over the stove, spinning and bending between the vile ooze and the wild cuts of her long reach. Flying on fleet feet, Hanoane flashed as he ducked inside Jouma's range, holding up his blade as one of her arms crashed into its unforgiving edge. It broke like brittle glass, making the spider howl in agony as she struck again only to loose another limb.

And he was so close, standing inside the cage of her flailing arms, close enough to see that the spider had taken Cinna's fans for herself. The gentle bells flashed as they rang against her hour-glass obi. Fury blinded him at the sight. And the fire broke free from inside him like a storm.

A thunderclap hit the room as he spared a hand to rip the fans free.

Striking Hanoane forward, he cut the spider's head from her shoulders.

Cold and viscous, rain splashed his face through his mask and only as the clouds raging in his head passed did he realized it was not rain. _Blood!_ Blood spurted from the spider's severed neck as her head rolled! A cold searing wind blew through the very firmament of his heart as in horror he realized _he had taken life_! Uttering a choked cry, Haku stumbled back as another lake of red welled round the horrible headless pile of striped yellow and black as it finally crumbled to the ground. Stumbling to the hearth as his legs crumbled, still clutching Hanoane and Cinna's fans, Haku bent and threw up, heaving again as he wiped his mouth on the back of his hand only to taste blood. It coated his lips, sticky and thick on his face and hands. Choking and gasping, he cringed against the stones of the hearth because all around him was the stink of death! All he could see was red; horrible, horrible _red!_ The world seemed to be soaked with it until he nearly went mad at the sight!

"J-Jouma!?"

Gichi was flailing among the curtains, ripping himself free only to stumble over his wife's severed head. Going completely white as his bare feet slipped in the pool of blood, with shaking hands he picked up the gruesome orb. It took the mole a moment to realize what it was. Gasping, Gichi dropped the head and shrieked at the top of his lungs.

" _Murder! MURDER!"_

Deaf to his screams, numbly forcing himself upright, Haku hobbled on wooden knees round the hearth. Shoving the fans into his armor, his knife smeared red against the white silk as he cut Cinna from the table. Hauling the unconscious cat over his shoulder, he caught up the shamisen just as soldiers flooded the room. Leaping up onto the table as he was faced by a bristling wall of spears so thick he could not see the guards' faces.

" _Drop your weapon!"_ A commanding voice thundered.

In a panic Haku threw his eyes overhead and called a wind. His eardrums almost burst beneath the force of it. The pressure knocked several of the soldiers to the ground as a whirlwind screamed overhead. The ceiling detonated the same moment Haku found the umbrella beneath his armor. As it opened they went weightless. And the parasol got caught up into the storm of straw, snatching them up, out, and into the air above the inn.

And eerie silence swallowed him as they wafted high above Shitamachi. Momentum carried them up into the massive branches of the root castle's lattice forest. The drooping swells of its dropping root nodes mingled among dripping stalagmites. Like a tiny bit of dandelion fluff they floated around the unforgiving teeth of stone, caught up and buffeted by gusts of moisture soaked wind that blew off the distantly pouring cataracts.

But the air held no joy for him.

He had never taken the umbrella this high! Haku's insides scrambled dizzily as never before, making him _terrified_ of their erratic flight and the yawning distance between his feet and the ground! Because should he loose his grip on the umbrella he would plunge like a stone to his death! He who had once been master of wind and sky, cloud and rain; he was at once _afraid to fly_! Oh, the loss of that last shred of his former self was like a sword thrust to his gut! Despair poured from the wound in his heart, slowly dragging them downward as it soaked him thru. Clinging with one hand to the umbrella's haft while madly clutching Cinna and Tomoe in his other, Haku hooked his foot into the crook of the parasol's long handle, struggling to steady their downward pitch. Below the cursed city smoked and glimmered like a pile of burning refuse, cut in half was a wide dark ribbon that seemed to transverse the bowl of granite.

The Rut!

With sharp eyes he followed into the place where he had last seen Kaonashi. Struggling to draw in a breath around the panic pinching his throat, Haku blew behind with all his might. The gust of wind sent them spinning like a top for terrifying seconds that stretched on into forever! But even as they slowed, at least headed in the right direction, whatever gladness he felt died in his heart as he saw the bats.

A fleet of dark wings lifted from the haze above Shitamatchi.

He could see the red mark of the Root Castle emblazoned on their breast plates.

Another stab of terror pierced his heart as Haku realized there was nothing he could do but hang helplessly in the air! He had no hand to spare for his sword or arrows! And the ground was still perilously far! Gritting his teeth, he cringed from the bat soldiers' shrill pinging cry as it echoed inside his chest unnervingly. At once the winged fleet as broke around him in a leathery fit of wind. Twice his size and covered in light plates of lacquer-laced armor, the brown creatures glared at him with sightless black eyes.

Then the closest reared, spitting a long dart of metal the length of his arm!

Haku cried out in surprise as it deflected off his mask, sending his head reeling with pain as he struggled to keep his hold. Reacting on instinct, Haku blew a fierce mistral into the diving bats, pulled backwards into a tail spin as a volley of bodkins ripped through the air at him. Several punctured the thin fabric of the parasol, increasing their downward plunge as the shrill echoing cry knocked off his insides once more. At once the bats closed in on him, snatching at with their clawed feet as their whipping wings brushed against him in feathery flicks, sending his skin crawling.

Suddenly falling was far more appealing than being pulled apart!

Driven to desperate actions, Haku slid his hand up the haft into umbrella's the tines and drew it closed. Clenching his teeth so tightly he felt one snap, his heart thrilled into his mouth as they plunged from the sky. The once the black fields of dry papery weeds folded open beneath his feet as at an alarming rate. Haku's neck snapped painfully as the parasol opened with a loud _woof_! They were jerked back into weightlessness only to crash against the ground. The impact knocked the air out of him, flattening him completely. And Haku hit his head on something far more unforgiving than the ground.

The already dim world went white with smoke as sound disappeared in the throbbing haze. Thru the curls of gray and white he saw distant points of red dart up and down, back and forth like butterflies. They drew closer and larger, not nearly so lovely as Haku realized what they were. Jerking onto his stomach, Haku cringed beneath the wafting canopy of weeds as the shadow wings swooped low, loosing a flashing curtain of bodkins rained on him from above. But again a shadow fell over him the points of metal failed to rip him to pieces. Peering over his shoulder in utter confusion, Haku found a familiar shape in black standing over him protectively.

"Ah- _AH!_ "

Kaonashi growled, irritably shrugging off the copse of silver needles bristling on his back as is empty eyes followed the bats in the sky. In the bow of arms he held Cinna and Tomoe with exceeding gentleness. Haku dragged the unconscious cat to him as Kaonashi gently laid her and the shamisen in the weeds beside them. The gaki skated in front of them as the fleet wings banking high before wheeling round in another piercing hail of shrill cries, looming larger and larger as they dropped low for the next pass.

" _Look out!"_ Haku shouted as beating the ground with their wide sweeping wings, the bats reached for Kaonashi as if they meant to pluck him up into the air.

But the gaki bulged and split as if hinged at the middle.

Becoming an enormous mouth, he caught and swallowed one of the bats whole.

With startled cries the other soldiers wheeled and scattered, pelting them with wind as Kaonashi righted. Haku started as the gaki spit the bat he had just swallowed to the side, gathering back up into his deceptively helpless appearance. The insensible solider sprawled out on the weeds in a wet sticky mess. On his knees, stuffing the umbrella into the endless reaches of his cloak, Haku scooped up Cinna and struggled to pick up Tomoe.

Swifted by far, Kaonashi beat him to the shamisen.

Snatching it away, the gaki hastily swallowed the instrument.

Haku recoiled in shock as at once the trembling daemon fell on him, struggling to keep upright as its knees folded beneath the pain of the transformation. Kaonashi tossed his head back as if stricken by pain. His hollow eyes flew wide as the mouth of his mask stretched wider and thinner until it swallowed itself. A white face surfaced from within. Tomoe lifted his face, appealing with lidless jet eyes and at once reaching for the cat.

" _Give her to me!"_ He choked desperately.

Haku gave him Cinna and tore his bow from his cloak as the bats returned.

" _Run!"_ He thundered back, all the while fitting arrows and firing.

As if precognizant, the winged soldiers ducked around each bolt. But the projectiles were not meant to kill. Even as opportunities presented themselves, Haku could not bring himself to take killing shots. The blood caked on his hands made him sick and quaking at the thought of spilling more. Haku knocked Cinna's fans while reaching inside his cloak for another arrow. At once the bats screeched, giving up their dive to swoop high. Elated, Haku stuffed away the bow and withdrew the fan, shaking it each time the bats tried to regroup. Again they shrieked and scattered, driven further away as distantly a sonorous horn sounded from Shitamachi.

Movement poured through the front gate.

Harried by the sight of springing dogs in armor, Haku turned and ran after Tomoe.

But they came up short, shrinking in the field of dry grass as red welled inside the root ringed stair as if lava had filled the interior. Blue sparks shot from inside as the lantern daemon who admitted them filled the hollow with the swelling ribs of its bulbous frame. It glared furiously as the charred edges of its lid opened to reveal the writhing iris of blue flame inside. There was no time to rout such a creature, not with the dog soldiers baying behind them!

They were trapped!

Once again driven to desperate measures, Haku spun the stunned ghost round and shoved his hand up the cat's shirt. Without question, Tomoe punched him square in the jaw just as his hand fell on what he sought. Knocked backwards head over heels, Haku pulled the motor bicycle with him. Back before they left for Tokyo the cat had folded it up inside her cloak for safe keeping. At once free, the mechanical beast hit the ground with a jostling creak. Still reeling from the punch to the face, Haku hauled himself up on the handle bars and threw his leg over the seat. Ticking out the started her forced it down with such ferocity the motor roared to life in a single strike. Popping and fizzling in terror the lantern fled up the stairs, peering with a wild eye through breaks higher up.

Haku learned to drive in the long hours on the way to Chihiro's parent's house.

Never before had he been so grateful for mortal knowledge.

At once Tomoe flowed into the side car. Haku gunned the engine, kicking up dirt as he ticked the metal beast into gear, decimating the dry grass as they whipped round, rattling to their bones as they left the field for the uneven cobble road. With high yelps and barks of confusion the dog soldiers came up short, rising to two legs and shrinking from the motor cycle.

Haku put his back to Shitamachi and followed the rut.

The stink of gasoline and the roar of the engine held the bats at bay. And far more quickly than he had anticipated the steep wall of the cavern was at once leaning over them as if threatening to fall. A cataract poured down the rock slope, breaking in a rushing gate over the monstrous oval of shadow hidden beyond.

" _No!"_ Tomoe shouted as he realized what Haku meant to do, _"Not the tunnel!"_

"We have no choice!"Haku threw back, turning to the waterfall and shouting instruction, _"Move aside!"_

His insides clenched with panic as the veil remained. Already vibrant mists were curling around them in cold rushing gouts as the force of its fall drowned out even the growl of the motor bicycle's engine. Standing in his seat, pointing at the massive cascade hurling from above, the former God boomed a command at the top of his lungs. It cracked from his lips like a peel of thunder.

" _YOU WILL MOVE!"_

Second before they were crushed the white torrent parted like a curtain.

Like an arrow they shot through the drenching veil.

Then into pitch black beyond.

* * *

 **LIN**

Suzume black burned hands caught her shoulders.

Otherwise Lin would have fallen.

With shaking fingers she gripped the front of his coat, ready to pull if necessary.

But he didn't run away; it anything he moved closer.

The fox's white spider silk hair was wild with tangles, full of sticks and dry leaves where it pulled back into a tightly plaited tail. Gone were his ridiculously sumptuous robes. On his back he wore a tattered short coat so patched it held none yet every color. Threadbare at the knees his brown-red leggings were caked with orange mud the same color of the silky sash winding tightly around his narrow waist. But his eyes! His melancholy eyes held all the calm and quiet of the camphor tree's grove.

Staring up at him, Lin hardly knew him.

"Step aside, Hiyashimi." The God instructed quietly.

Even as he held her, his gold eyes remained fixed on Amano.

Without a word Lin shrank against the far wall, letting him pass. A pale blue foxfire winked to life above the fox, making him a ghost in the shadows that suddenly ran and twisted around the room. With unhurried grace the God bent over the human, placing hands on Amano's chest and head before withdrawing a leafy branch from the fold in his threadbare robes. This he tossed into the air and the hungry globe of light snatched it up. Flickering and sparked, it issued a great belch of silky white smoke before turning an incandescent gold, filling the entire room with the sweet spicy smell of incense. Lin peered around her fingers, squinting at the power of the light, she jolted as it guttered loudly then extinguishing with a hiss. At the same time Amano breathed a long sigh, sagging back against the bed. As a rush of worried question piled on the tip of her tongue Lin fell silent as Suzume spoke.

"Fret not; he only sleeps."

But they both fell perfectly still as distantly rose a keening wail.

It took Lin a moment to realize the call was human and not kami. The sound of it sent her skin crawling as the fine hairs all over her body stood on end. She shrank into Suzume as again the knowing rolled around her ankles like a draft, making her shudder with apprehension. Oh, how she wanted to run if only to escape the muffled sounds of Nani's screaming; because the other human was dead. Suzume was not immune to the sound. He cringed from it, bending beneath it as grief stole his breath.

"I held Izuko the day he was born. Even then there was nothing I could do."

Lin grasped the back of his robe, tugging until he turned, because they couldn't stay here anymore. This wasn't their world and they didn't belong in this place. With his hand in hers she led him from the room, glancing down the hall as the sobbing shrieks intensified. The nurses and the blonde doctor lined the opposite wall, looking on helplessly. Keiichi was kneeling on the floor. The priest was holding Naniko tightly as she fought and struggled. Gasping and choking, she lapsed into silence only to start screaming again.

Her back to the kami; outlined by the light from the waiting room; was Kiri.

Hesitantly the former temple maiden put her hand on her brother's shoulder. Reaching back he took it and squeezed with all his might, pulling her against them. As Kiri folded up beside her brother, taking Nani from him and hugging her tightly, the human girl's second shadow swelled until it filled the entire corridor with black. Unnerved by the sight Lin towed Suzume in the opposite direction, running weaving blindly thru the dark corridors until she caught the smell of salt. Snuffling loudly and searching for its source she saw the metal box hanging from the ceiling over the unassuming door. The humming green sign offered the word she was seeking.

Out.

They spilled onto the acrid tar-stone lot for cars.

The black burned the soles of her bare feet.

 _Out!_

Lin sprinted towards the tangy effervescent wind blowing off the swallowing expanse to the south, running for it until the buzzing cables and lights of the town faded, creasing to press on her with their malevolent glowing eyes. At once there was nothing but indigo sky over her head and cold clean sand running between her toes. The rolling wave crashed so close the hissing breakers flooded around her calves, tugging on the hem of her kimono. Sinking onto the wet sand she let the frozen surf flood around her waist, washing away the lingering touch of death. As her robes grew heavy and drunken with the sea Lin clung to Suzume as he fell beside her in the wake, crushing her in his arms and drowning her in the press of his body as the waves broke around them.

" _I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"_ She gasped over and again.

"Enough… _Enough, beloved!_

The fox forced her to sit back on her heels, looking her in the eye with the luminous gold of his solemn gaze. At a loss Lin stared back. How could he be so very calm!?

"We are both sorry. We are stubborn, angry, and sorry. But we are also so very lucky because we are the same. Neither of us knows how to be anything other than what we are and we cannot learn alone. This I realized while we were apart. We must learn together, beloved, for our own sakes as well as our children."

Firmly he clasped her only hand to his sodden chest.

"We are one, Hiyashimi: body and soul."

Lin sat bolt upright in the gushing water and sand as the shattered fragments of her heart answered the swift thud beneath her fingers; chasing; gaining; until they were as he said. Again she hardly knew this God who looked on her with such absolute certainty. The strength of his words rose above the taunting ebb and shush of the sea until she couldn't hear anything but them.

"Forgive yourself, Hiyashimi. Forgive yourself so I might forgive myself. Only then may I come home. Only then can we begin again."

As stunned as she was, Lin almost snorted. Even as he begged in apology, Suzume managed not to apologize. But she didn't care in the slightest. Like the moon drawing the tide, those eyes held her, drawing her near as he collected her face into his charcoal black hands as he had in the kitchen that night. And the fox was looking at her as if there was nothing else in the world. All the grief and guilt festering inside her heart lit up on a pyre as Lin smoldered beneath that look. Throwing back her head, hungrily she accepted his lips. With impassioned zeal Suzume met her, bending her backwards like a bow into his arms, refusing to let her go. Finally they broke appart as frigid surf smashed into them as if jealous. Gasping for air, Suzume still refused to let her go, pressing his wet and sandy brow against hers.

"How I missed you!" His hot breath came quick and sharp against her cheek, the tender hush half devoured by the hissing waves.

"You stupid, _stupid_ , _STUPID_ fox!" Lin choking on salt that didn't belong to the waves, "Then don't _ever_ leave me again!"

With renewed vigor she launched herself at him, knocking him back into the surf.

" _Ah!_ " Suzume shrilled, cringing as his hair and clothes floated like weeds in the water, "Hiyashimi _,_ must we do this _here_!? I _abhor_ being _wet_!"

Hanging over him dripping like a sponge, it was difficult not to laugh at that. But to laugh on a day such as this would've been ill luck even for kami. Lin struggled to her feet with his help. Together they waded for shore only to pause at the water's edge. Suzume fell perfectly still even as another wave lapped around their feet. Following the sharp edge of his glowing gaze across Kumomi bay, Lin saw the shadows on the bigger island. A human would not have seen it for the night was quite dark.

But Lin saw him clearly; so did Suzume.

Hidé's sad indigo eyes were the same color as the dark waves.

The weight of his gaze seemed to strike her like a cold wind. It blew right through her head as standing like a piece of living mother-of-pearl beneath the lintel of the weathered torii, silently the young God beckoned the thin shade on the very edge of the rock. The shadow looked like he might jump into the water at any moment and swim for shore. But the reluctant ghost turned and trudged through the gate with many a backward glance, fading away into nothing as he passed beneath the cross bar.

In that moment a shooting star darted across the star-speckled band transversing the inky cobalt heaven. Lin shivered as she looked back to the rock only to find it empty. She winced as one of the younglings chose that moment to firmly kick her right in the spine. Protectively she covered her growing belly with her only hand.

Death was life, she considered grimly, and life was death.

The dour thoughts faded as Suzume leaned into her from behind; covering her hand his hands as he gently led her away from the sea. Although the fire in her blood turned to ice as the fox spoke with reluctant quiet.

"We must bring them."

By _them_ he meant Kai and Mrs. Nikkou. Lin's eyes flashed back to the hospital as apprehension tightened in her chest. She did not want to go back to that place, even though she knew she must.

"I'll tell the boy," Lin murmured as calmly as she could, "Let the others sleep."

* * *

 **CHIHIRO**

With a gasp Chihiro jerked upright in her chair.

She'd fallen asleep at her desk. Again…

With a gritted squeal she rubbed her arm as pins and needles shot through her fingers, distracting her from the fading nightmare. It'd been a long time since she'd dream about anything, not since her parent's house. Even those she could hardly remember. But she remembered this dream. Horribly huge spiders and screeching bats clambered around the inside of her head, making her glad the lights were on. Heebie-jeebies were still skittering up and down the back of her neck. And Chihiro lifted her feet off the ground, feeling stupid for doing so, because the monsters in her dreams weren't the only thing lurking in her head.

Looking at her computer screen Chihiro's eyes zeroed in on one word.

Forgotten: she'd decided to call it that.

Her shrink would've _loved_ this too! The monster in her story was based upon something that had endured so much suffering that it literally forgot itself, transformed into something hideous by that swallowing endless pain that welled in the absence of self. Chihiro had an inkling of what that felt like. But given her current situation the symbolism seemed a bit heavy-handed; for a moment reconsider what she'd written. But before she could hit delete she came up short, because that was what it was called. She knew its name with the strange sureness she felt when writing everything else. Shivering convulsively, she heaved a sigh and flipped open the browser with a click.

The Goth could fix anything with wires.

Thanks to Michi they had a wireless network.

The internet provided answers for pretty much anything she needed for the story. So what if she couldn't remember anything? Between Google Maps and the Japanese Travel Bureau she pretty much knew Kumomi inside and out. But not everything was on the internet. The Onsen didn't have a website so she had to settle for the pictures published in magazine articles and the pictures put up by tourist of the surrounding areas. Trawling picture posts was how she found the Kumomi City homepage. She had it bookmarked. The page loaded lightning fast, revealing a picture of Kumomi-Cho. She liked to read the locals updates about the squid festival and the turning leaves.

Looking helped; it eased the empty ache inside her heart.

But this time looking didn't.

She fell perfectly still at the headline emblazoned across the middle of the page.

 _Boat fire claims fisherman's life._

There was a picture of a plain faced man with warm eyes and a shy smile leaning over the side of a boat hauling on a net. Chotsuya Izuko: that was his name. Chihiro's insides contracted with wild panic as she struggled to remember him. Did she know him? Kumomi was small enough so she might know him?! But even as she struggled to produce something, _anything_ , she found nothing but the same horrible blankness that had driven her from the village in the first place. And there was no way to know if she knew him or not. Still, the headline continued and she forced herself to read on.

 _Survivors call crewmate a hero._

Chihiro couldn't help but glance at the accompanying picture. Huh… This was exactly the way she pictured Charisma. No, not Charisama; that jerk from the beginning of her book was turning out to be more of a sympathetic character. What was his name? Tetsuo… Amano Testuo. Whoever he was, the guy had a crooked nose just like Amano, probably from a bar fight judging from the _fuck-off_ James Dean attitude he had going on what with his tight white t-shirt and 501 jeans. The guy glanced over his shoulder, looking out at her as if annoyed. A cigarette hung from his lip and there was a rack of Asahi beer balanced on his shoulder. It wasn't a flattering picture, but that wasn't why she jerked away. The reason she recoiled was Hidé stood next to the guy in the picture.

On her feet at the foot of the bed, Chihiro paced back and forth suddenly struggling to breathe, trying not to look. She failed after only a few short seconds. He was carrying a case of Kirin to match the Asahi, wearing his usual flip flops and an indigo tank. And laughing; he was always laughing. Streamers and lanterns hung into the picture over their heads, probably from a summer matsuri.

Chihiro's insides contracted to the point of pain.

Because that meant the picture was taken a day or two before Hidé died.

She slapped the laptop closed. On her feet and the verge of tears, Chihiro stumbled out of her room, limping as her ankle buckled. Because she wasn't ready to cry; if she cried that meant he was real.

Somehow in the process of writing she'd convinced herself it was just a story.

She wasn't ready for _any_ of it to be real; especially not him.

And so she stumbled down the hall to Michi's room, coming up short at the open door. The interior looked just like the way she'd written Kiri's room in the story; like the aftermath of a Hot Topic riot; all stripes and skulls. But the bed was empty save for a Domo-kun pillow and a deflated electric purple tutu, which could only mean one thing: X-Box. Fleeing from the cavernous hall and turning on every light as she passed, she shied down into the living room. Chihiro found Michio face down and snoring atop the red Tetris block bean bag, still lightly holding the controller. Next to her was a half full bottle of Mike Hard Limeade and the screen showed a still screen from Halo 3. Master Chief was dead on the ground. Folding up next to her Chihiro stole the rest of her Mike's, downing it in one gulp.

"Hey," Michi muttered as she stretched like a cat, cringing from the lights, "That was mine."

"Gah!" Chihiro choked on the hard edge of the drink, "It's warm!"

She tossed the empty. It hit the wall with a loud clink. Luckily it didn't shatter. And such a feeling of helplessness surged through her chest as she hugged her stomach feeling like she was about to fly apart.

Michi went still as the TV crackled.

The lights overhead flickered too.

They did that a lot. In spite of the remodel, an old house meant old wires.

"You okay?"

"No…" Chihiro hushed sullenly, "But what else is new?"

The Goth put an arm around her shoulders, "Wanna watch a movie?"

"Sure," Because Chihiro did not want to go to sleep anytime soon.

"Wotcha wanna watch?"

As Michi rolled over to the DVD organizer Chihiro stole the red block bean bag. It was the comfiest out of all the blocks. Without hesitation she answered.

"Spirited Away."

 _"Agh…!"_ Michi flatted on the tatami mats, _"Again!?"_

"I want something _magicky_ right now… Something that isn't real…"

"Fine," the Goth yanked the case from the shelf, "But I get to pick the next one."

Chihiro blinked, "How many are we gonna watch?"

"Dunno… Don't have t'work tomorrow."

"Kay… but nothing gory."

"Aw, you're not fun at all!"

As Michi worked the controller Chihiro glanced at the kitchen, "Did you bring home anything to eat or just a case of Mike's?"

"I drink my diner, remember?" Grinning and sticking out her tongue, Michi threw herself back onto the bean bag, jolting Chihiro as the air escaped in a hiss.

"D'you think pizza's still open?"

"Chihiro, it's like 2AM," Michi snorted, " _Nothing's_ open!"

"Oh… Right… Um, will you make me some popcorn then?"

For some reason the microwave went on the blink every time she tried to use it. With a gusty sigh Michi climbed to her feet and slouched for the kitchen.

"Anything else, princess?"

"Um, bring me a Mike's too?"

On the way Michio hauled up the yellow Tetris block and threw it. With a squeal she ducked and it went bouncing off the floor harmlessly. But before Chihiro could retaliate with the blue block a familiar song played on the sound system. And she settled back, waiting for what she knew was already going to happen.

She'd watch the whole thing but all she really wanted was to see him.

In her story he'd come back. And it was so _good_ to have him back! Haku hadn't changed a bit. Well, he'd changed a little bit, at least in terms of his appearance. Her face got hot every time she had to write about him in his human guise. It was hilarious to write about him trying to be human. He was so prim! _It was so cute!_ But like the rest of the story even that was complicated; way _too_ complicated.

Monster, men, and magic: it was becoming her mantra.

Although she hadn't written it yet, she'd long since accepted that she loved him. She loved them both. She loved them both but couldn't have either of them and how fucked up was that?! She should be able to write a _happily-ever-after_ or something! It was her story, after all. But it came out of her like it didn't belong to her, taking her on twists and turns she'd never expected. Happily-ever-after wasn't the way things were turning out. Unfortunately, she already knew how things were going to end.

No matter how much she loved him, Haku wasn't real.

No matter how much she loved him, Hidé was dead.

In the end it was just a stupid story.


	17. Chapter 17

**LIN**

Lin cringed from the harsh smell of cleaning chemicals as white faced and tight lipped Mrs. Nikkou hurriedly shuffled past the hospital's reception desk. She didn't stop to ask for directions. The old woman didn't need them. Without a word she passed as if driven by an internal compass. The nurses got to their feet blank faced with surprise, leaning over the counter and gaping after her, because no calls had been made just yet. But the protests died on their lips as the women cast nervous glances at each other. A youngish human with a short pony tail and buck teeth silently mouthing a word.

 _Witch._

Just inside the doors to the hospital, Lin saw it clearly, coming to stillness as instantly her blood was boiling. Not because of the word, because Reika was indeed a witch, but because of the disrespect in the humans' eyes.

But the tiny hand that tightened on hers held her back.

Lin was actually quite impressed with Amano's youngling. She woke Kai as gently as possible, telling him what had happened just as carefully. But the boy didn't crumble into tears or hysterics as she's feared. Instead he quietly nodded, stood and put on worn orange parka over his sleeping clothes. But his bravery was thinning. Glancing at the human she found him chalk white and all eyes in the lights.

Travel without using a doorway was a little jarring even for her. Suzume brought them to the hospital directly from the Onsen, already gone the moment their feet touched the tarry blacktop outside. The fox needed no door, just like Lin didn't need her cloak to keep them hidden even with the humming bars of light overhead. It was the height of the kami hour, the time when the boundaries between the worlds were thinnest, and magic was strong all around them in spite of the dampening affect cause by the horrible humming electricity coursing thru the walls.

Glaring with dislike at the buck-toothed nurse they passed on silent feet, Lin gritted her teeth in vindication as the human shivered convulsively beneath the weight of her eyes. Kai gaped at the women as they passed and a pinch of confusion tightened between his brows as he realized they couldn't see him. Immediately his gaze shot to her seeking explanation. He had his father's eyes. And as his mouth opened to pour out a torrent of questions Lin firmly shook her head. She could keep them invisible, but it was up to them to remain silent. Towing him along, because he was still craning his neck back at the reception desk, Lin glanced in the doorway where Mrs. Nikkou had disappeared as they continued down the hall.

Reika was seated on the edge of a bed next to a prematurely aged woman with a sensible set to her jaw. Quaking visible, Nani spilled into the old woman's lap as the second human rubbed the clerk's shoulders, hushing and soothing in the way that only a mother could. Both their faces were soaked through with sympathy and sorrow. Up until now the room had been silent. Then Nani choked as she began crying fresh tears. Normally the sound would have made her angry, but only recently had Lin gained an appreciation for tears. At once Keiichi was on his feet pacing the opposite side of the room. Hunched shouldered and pinching his nose, the young priest's face twisted as he cringed from the sound as if it hurt him physically, looking for a moment like it might drive him over the brink.

Then Suzume was beside him.

The God stilled the young priest with a hand gently placed on the human's shoulder. Lin wasn't sure if Keiichi knew the fox was there or not, but his face cleared somewhat. The deep lines etching his face eased and he stared off into nothing Suzume guided the troubled priest with slow care to a seat on the cot at the opposite side of the room. Already huddled on it were Nani's younglings. Their dark eyes raw and red from crying, blank faced with shock, they fared nowhere near as well as their friend. Yoji and Taki divided around Keiichi as he sat between them, hugging them tightly as their mother continued to sob. Like the priest, the human children looked through the fox as he crouched at their feet. Worry tightened his handsome face.

Lin's heart squeezed as she witnessed the strength of her mate's compassion. It was not something the other bath house kami would expected from him. But Lin knew his quick temper and harsh words hid something much deeper. Watching him now never before had she realized just how much Suzume loved the humans under his care. Again it was as if she was seeing him for the first time. In him Lin saw what she must nurture and strive to become; because the fox was right, they were going to have to learn together. Suzume smoothed blackened hands over the boys' heads until they fell asleep. Such feelings swelled inside Lin's heart. He was going to be an excellent father.

Lin startled, following reluctantly as Kai tugged on her arm, draw her away from the doorway and down the hall. He hesitated as door after door stretched ahead of them, appealing to her with brimming eyes as he swallowed with difficulty. Lin blinked rapidly then wrapped her arm around his shoulders, quickly ushering him through the darkened hall into Amano's room. Lin pushed the door open a boy-sized crack and Kai stuck his head inside. Abruptly, however, he threw himself backwards, at once rigid with terror.

Consternation seized her insides with cold panic. Lin tore herself free, throwing the door open and reaching for a sword that wasn't there. Inside the humans were fast asleep. Kiri was on the hospital gurney, curled up around Amano almost protectively. With his head pillowed on her breast the burned fisherman rested easily. But hanging over them like some kind of otherworldly mosquito net, was the shadow.

The boshi startled visibly at her appearance, quickly retreating beneath the bed as if afraid. Straightening in realization, Lin glanced between the boy and the shadow.

"You can see it?"

Kai didn't speak. He couldn't; he was shaking so badly.

Instead the boy nodded vigorously, so vigorously his knees buckled, sending him sprawling on the ground. These humans and their weak knees! Taking care not to hurt him, Lin plucked him up off the ground only to jerk up her arm in surprise as Kai threw himself at her middle. Hugging her with great difficulty because of her swollen belly, the boy pointed into the room, stuttering incomprehensibly as he tried to pull her away. Lin's attention shot back to the room only to watch the shadow had emerged from under the bed. Lin hauled the boy up with her only arm, ready to run if necessary.

But something made her hesitate.

Docile and slow the shadow gathered up into a humanish shape just inside the doorway. It gazed out at them curiously, as if not sure what to make of them. And Lin's instincts told her it wasn't dangerous, at least not now.

Kai, however, was not convinced.

"It's alright," she hushed as Kai's arms tightened around her neck, "I see it too."

Blinking rapidly, Lin scowled at the gray light filtering thru the oiled paper.

Dawn was trying to creep under the slider at the foot of her bed.

It was terribly cold. If she had been human her breath would have plumed up in white clouds. Her frown deepened as she realize with great chagrin that her bed was full of sand. She hadn't taken the time to bath after finally making it back to the bath house. Absolutely exhausted, she'd poured herself directly into bed. There hadn't been time to remember what had come to pass in those thin gray hours before dawn. But she was wide awake now; and Lin remembered everything; remembered Naniko's terrible grief; remembered Kai's terrified face.

The boy had hovered at the edge of the hospital room with tears of frustration glistening in his eyes. Pacing back and forth, he was too afraid to approach because of the shadow beneath his father's bed. The boshi had retreated the moment Lin entered the room, fleeing back beneath the hospital gurney and hiding in the shadows there. Lin had finally carried Kai over, depositing the boy at the foot of the bed. Kai wormed his way between Kiri and Amano, curling up between them like a kitling. Still asleep the former temple maiden lifted her arm, cuddling him close even as she tightened her other arm around Amano. Lin watched for a long while, staring not at the humans but the dark beneath their bed and all the while wondering why Kai could see the shadow?

Finally she'd been forced to leave them.

They still had guests.

Though she had only slept a few hours and was not nearly ready to get out of bed, she squirmed uncomfortably. The salt caked on her skin made it tight and itchy, just like the grains of sand in her hair were more than maddening. She couldn't stand it a moment longer. But with a sharp and not unpleasant stab of surprise she went perfectly still as a heavy arm fell ran across her waist, drawing her closer. Blinking rapidly, Lin glanced over her shoulder and found Suzume fast sleep in her bed.

His head pillowed beside hers.

It was the first time she could recall waking with him beside her.

Carefully, so carefully as not to wake him, Lin turned beneath his arm. With her nose inches from his, she studied the fox's relaxed features. Fast asleep, he carried none of the stricken sorrow that had aged him last night. When he had come home she didn't know or care. His silky bare skin burned against hers, filling her bed with the musky scent of camphor. Suzume's slow even breathe stirred against her face, as the fringe of his eyelashes lay like filings of silver against the porcelain of his skin. If not for the piece of dried seaweed struck to his cheek he would have been breathtakingly handsome. As Lin stared at it her fingers itched.

Then her sharp eyes found more pieces in the snarled in his matted braid.

Twigs and all manner of forest leaves joined the bits of briny green.

And she just couldn't help it!

Reaching out, she picked the seaweed free. It peeled off like a piece of dead skin. Then she had to pluck at the twig behind his ear. It still had a leaf attached to it. It clung fast, so fast she had to pull, getting it snarled in his spider silk hair. As she did a pinch formed between Suzume's brows and his handsome mouth drew into a thin line.

"Woman," he muttered without opening his eyes, "What are you doing?"

"Hold still," she chewed her lip in concentration.

With an exasperated sigh he took her only hand and kissed it, tucking it under his cheek and weighing it down with his head as if it were a pillow. And that so wasn't fair.

"Enough," Suzume sighed again as if feeling the weight of her eyes on the remaining leaves, "Must you tidy incessantly? Can I not rest beside you in peace?"

Lin struggled not to pull her hand free, "But there are twigs and…"

She didn't get a chance to finish her sentence as Suzume kissed her to silence. He bowled her back onto the pillow, pinning her with his weight as his mouth moved against her. At once breathless, Lin lay limp against the pillow as finally he drew back. With glinting sly eyes Suzume took a leaf from his hair and stuck it into hers.

"Leave that there," he commanded smolderingly.

Too content to argue, Lin made room. He settled beside her, propping his cheek in his hand. But even as he stroked her hair, gazing down at her with open affection, she watched mirth fade from his face. Such pain gleamed in the depths of his gold eyes as he looked away. Lifting her only hand she smoothed the deep pinch between his brows, but it would not go away. Then Suzume spoke.

"Today a service will be held at the temple," he explained quietly, "Keiichi will preside but I must be with him as Reika and Ikiri must be with Naniko."

Her heart sank knowing she would not be able to keep him here long. But Suzume wasn't finished yet.

"For the next 49 days the Chotsuya family will not venture outside nor will they attend gatherings or take part in any cause for enjoyment or happiness."

Lin blinked, baffled by humans and their rules.

"Why!?"

He sighed, obviously unhappy, "It is tradition."

"That's a stupid tradition."

Suzume's eyes flew wide in consternation. Immediately he dropped fingers over her lips, whispering as if afraid someone was listening. For a moment Suzume was genuinely afraid, so much so Lin's insides went cold.

"Such irreverence brings ill luck, beloved," he brushed his hand over her mouth as again his eyes went distant, "Though we find them unagreable try to understand the mores of these people."

Lin blinked at the truth, noticing the way Suzume called the humans _people_ without an iota of aversion. Remembering the deer kami, Lin realized his outlook was completely at odds with the common law of Kami today. But then again, everything about their family, their home, and the city of Kumomi seemed to be at odds with the current way of Kami. She had to wonder how it had become this way.

"You took an oath binding yourself here… Why?"

Though it was one of the most prying questions she probably could have asked, Lin found it impossible not to. He stared at her with such a bafflingly enigmatic expression then laid his head beside her, still playing with her hair.

"As you know I was a heedless selfish youth," the fox began evenly.

"I did not understand my parent's vow. I found it bothersome that we could never leave Izu and that we must serve of such helpless creatures. The village humans always seemed to be in duress and clambering about our shrines. Though our house humans marveled at our knowledge and were grateful for the skills we imparted, I found the other mortals petty, stupid creatures incapable of listening."

"Mother and sister tried to explain our purpose but I could not fathom why O-Inari-sama had charged us with serving them. When I inquired of father he only smiled, as if withholding from me the truth was some kind of game. He told me some day I would understand. I did not believe him, especially after the human wars shattered our land and robbed me of my family."

Here he grew heavy with sorrow.

Lin held her breath, held perfectly still as she listened.

"I alone survived, tied against my will by my parent's oath to this house and its last surviving human. Oh, how I _hated_ the humans then…! I _hated_ them with every shred of my being! I even hated Reika. I withdrew from the village, neglected my duties, and was nearly consumed by that hate. But Reika saved me. While learning to love her my eyes opened. Through her I learned to love them all."

Lin closed her eyes. Listening to Suzume was like listening to herself. Just as Reika had saved Suzume, Sen had saved her. Sen had shown Lin something she'd never seen in another living being, mortal or not: pure love. Now it seemed she could find a piece of Sen in every human or kami. That made it impossible to despise them regardless of how stupid or short-sighted either being might be. Then the fox continued, pulling her from her thoughts.

"Unfortunately love did not make me wise," Suzume muttered ruefully, "It made me afraid. It made me covet in unjust ways. It drove me to grave mistakes and those who I sought only to love suffered greatly as a result."

Here he pulled her against him with such gentle passion.

"Now it is you who saves me, Hayashimi. And I think I understand now why O-Inari-sama sent you to me. You open my eyes yet again, beloved. Though we are both still angry stubborn creatures, I marvel at your equanimity. I am humbled by your compassion. You are so like Chihiro."

Lin flinched at the name. It was the first time she could remember hearing him say it aloud.

"Human, kami, or somewhere in-between, you care not. You welcome all under our roof. The others see you, just as _I_ see you; we follow your example, beloved. Through you I realize we were never intended _just_ to serve; as we learn so do we teach."

Whether he was talking about her, Sen, or both it was unclear. But his quick words were teeming with quiet ardor as he nuzzled the crown of her head.

"With open eyes I take up my oath anew, beloved, because there are so few Gods left who would do as we do. There will be no future for any of us or our children if we cannot see beyond the bigotry that so blinds us. We must find a way to coexist."

Lying in his arms with dawn spilling under her window, Lin stared at the ceiling stunned by everything Suzume just said. The rafters blurred as she found it difficult to swallow, because so many things were welling inside her chest.

"Sen would be proud of you," she choked hoarsely.

Lin closed her eyes hot tears slid from the corners. She let them fall, let Suzume see them. And she leaned back into him as he held her close, encircling her in his arms as if she was the most precious thing in the world.

"Not I, beloved," His warm voice whispered against the soft skin of her neck as he planted a kiss there, "She would be proud of all of us."

* * *

 **HAKU**

The waterfall's tremulous roar faded with the thin shreds of light.

But it was swiftly replaced by the echoing growl of the motor bicycle's engine.

Drenched with mist and fumbling with the wet controls, Haku struggled with panic. He fought to find the switch Cinna had shown him because impenetrable dark lifted like a wall before even his sharp sighted eyes. With an elated cry he found it. The lamp at the fore of the vehicle snapped on, emanating an unnerving electrical hum. Light flooded the immense ovular tunnel, revealing he was about to pitch them over into the rut. Tires squealed on the wet cobbles, resounding off the distant ceiling and filling the ovular tunnel with echoing cacophony as Haku veered wildly. The steep walls were sheer and perfectly smooth, rounded wider at the middle so to accommodate the massive wheel that once turned through the tunnel. But even as they pitched around a corner, tipping dangerously, Haku struggled to keep them high on the wall, suddenly realizing why the ghost had warned him from the tunnels.

Dark was welling from the rut like water.

Pulsing forward like a hellish black tide of cross-breed of crab, scorpion, and spider, hideous creeping things clambered over the edge, snapping and reaching with their insectorous appendages just as their cousins had reached back in Shitamachi. Unluckily these creatures were not bound to the channel and poured forth in droves. But even as Haku freed a hand from the controls to snatch up Hanoane, the terrifying things shrank from the light and recoiled from the bicycle's exhaust.

"What are they!?" Haku shouted over the engine's growl.

"Mushi!" Tomoe returned as he held Cinna closer in his arms.

Haku's mind reeled at the ghost's reply. Because such a thing could not be possible! Mushi were delicate passive beings born of the magic that permeated the spaces between the worlds, pouring fourth in harmless swarms like plankton amassing on the surface of the sea. Never had he seen such filthy hateful creatures! But even as he railed against the idea, Tomoe called over the engine, explaining what could only be true.

"Evil soaked thru the stones! These were poisoned!"

Several of the blackened mushi fell victim to their own belligerence as they rushed forward only to flee too late. Their fragile exoskeletons crunched beneath the motor bicycle's tires with sickening pops and snaps. Such a stench arose in the wake. Glancing back, his insides scrambled with violent horror as he watched swarms cover the twitching remains. Throwing his eyes away, Haku gagged over the handle bars while struggling to steer them around the angry tides.

"Where does this tunnel go!?"

Tomoe threw his jet eyes at the rushing curve of the sheer wall only to point. Haku glanced after the massive characters painted on the rock as they rushed by almost unnoticed. They were faded and chipped almost into oblivion. Kan'ei Temple Cavern (1) was painted in gold only to be crossed out by lines of red. Below it, written far less grandly, was the name Ueno Park (2).

"Look out!" Tomoe shouted.

Haku slammed on the brakes as they punched through a wide ropey spider web clotted with dust and dead black mushi. Tires shrieked on the smooth stone, sending up gouts of acrid black smoke. But the silk was ages old and disintegrated as Haku ripped it aside, struggling not to crash as he wheeled them round another draping block of frayed and tattered silk. More and more webs wafted from above like dusty forgotten flags as they rounded a corner into a straight way.

Relief pitched his heart into his throat as slowly a monstrous oval yawned out of the dark as if held open by the dim outline of an enormous stone torii. At once the black mushi fell back from the thin light, ceasing to surge and swarm beneath their tires as a strange apprehensive pressure began to build in Haku's chest. Trusting his instincts, he slowed as the mouth of the tunnel approached and was glad for his caution. Idling to a stop beside the rut, Haku cut the vehicle's engine. As the light blinked out, leaving him in a stillness that seemed odd, he peered up through the muted light filtering from afar.

Like everything in the tunnel, the net was immense.

Comprised of gossamer filaments that glinted like strands of glass so fine they could hardly be seen, it stretched across the tunnel's mouth. Anxiously casting his eyes overhead, Haku found no widows dwelling high in the dark. But this was not a spider's web, nor was it harmless like the rotted dust choked sheets hanging in the tunnel. The lattice was woven by hand, carefully spun then knotted together with boggling precision. Tiny silver bells hung from each joining. Looking back overhead he marveled. It must have taken ages to make.

"Look, Nigihayami-sama!"

The awe in the ghost's voice caused him to tear his eyes away from the net. Tomoe was pointing again, this time out into the cavern. Standing on the spokes, Haku gaped as he gazed into the beyond.

The Great Wheel of Yamanote listed in the distance.

Though nearly sized the same as Shitamachi, the cavern was dwarfed by its size.

Like the stripped carcass of a giant monster, the ancient circle had crashed against a pagoda that was equally large and just as askew. Both the wheel and the tower leaned across dark complexes of crumbled walls and deflated building that had once been a city. Now it was merely a ghost. Above them both a pond stretched across the cavern's ceiling like a murky glass window. It was held aloft by some means of magic so old it was beginning to fail, because a long line of water poured from its middle, dropping down between the spokes of the Wheel into the darkness below.

Light filtered through the water, falling in dappled rays of shifting brightness upon the junk littering the sloping hills. From one slope a rusted subway car stared with it hollowed broken eyes. Opposite, knocked over on its side and half hidden beneath a luminescent carpet of green moss and rust-colored fungus was a corroded skeleton of an old steam locomotive. As if attracted by the Great Wheel seat-less bicycles and wheel-less motorcycles turned to dust and rot as a decaying fleet of wood wheels with broken spokes stood up everywhere among the dry black grass like grave markers. Out of the sea of dead transportation Haku picked out piles of human junk.

"Do you see them?"

"Yes," Tomoe replied solemnly, "Tsukumonogami of this kind are not welcome in Shitamachi. Something must have gathered them here."

Rotary telephones, phonographs, typewriters, and crank-handle washers peered at him curiously. The forsaken objects, given life by age and yet abandoned because of it, shifted and fled nervously. Haku pitied the creatures with strange sympathy, knowing what it was like to be unwelcome. Like him they were human and kami yet neither. Some threw themselves over the edge of The Rut in their haste to flee, showing that there was nothing to fear from the thick shadows gathering within.

Unlike Shitamachi, which was cut in half by its passing, The Rut followed the sloping hills until it lifted on a road of stone running in a wide arc round the dark bones of the city at the center of the cavern. Off of this highway spurred a smaller road. On a narrow ribbon of stone it climbed the caverns walls higher and higher and higher still until it disappeared into one of the many perforations at the cave's crown. Suddenly a pair of phantom lights rushed from one of the lofty tunnel into the next. Thought nothing was attached to them, the familiar clickty-clitck and hiss of a subway's passing echoed in the cavern. Haku recoiled from the ghost of the train; sitting hard and making the shocks creak plaintively as he watched more lights dart between the high passages.

A hollow horn blared eerily.

But carried on the wind of the phantoms' passing, filtering from above, was the acrid burned stink of the mortal city named Tokyo. Again hope fluttered in his chest like a bird struggling free of a cage. Though its wings seized as if trapped in spider silk Tomoe's boney fingers gripped his arm to the point of pain.

" _Nigihiyami-sama!"_ The ghost choked, _"Okesa fades!"_

The unconscious cat had gone almost transparent in the gloom.

Cinna was terribly light as he pulled her free, laying her out on the dusty stones.

"Hold her up."

Haku instructed the ghost with false calm, trying to sound like he knew what he was doing, because he did not. Silently Tomoe folded beside Cinna like a blanket, carefully turning her to the light and peeling back the blood soaked shirt so Haku could see the evil red punctures afflicting her pale back and shoulder. His insides scrambled at the sight, because he knew nothing of healing. Not a minute of his new life passed without him wishing for Chihiro. She would know what to do. But she was not here.

Tearing off his mask and shoving it into his endless cloak, Haku pulled the sloshing gourd free as his armor faded into the clothing he had stolen from Chihiro's father. Hastily dousing the many bites with the warm sulfur smelling water, he gently rubbed the clotted brown. But red bleed beneath his fingers and he went heavy with dismayed panic as the wounds persisted. The poison must have spread through her body stronger than the water could cure. But even as helpless frustration welled in his eyes, Haku remembered something Chihiro had shown him. Stowing the gourd he wiped the salt from his face, applying the tears to the bites.

They staunched, closing with painful slowness.

But his elation was short for the cat remained dangerously transparent.

"She needs human food."

Haku was on his feet, whirling towards the stranger who had spoken.

Though Hanoane flashed in his hand still stinking of spider blood, a woman of stunning beauty stood beyond the silk gate, unmoved by the threat of violence. Wearing a bamboo green kimono and sakura pink obi, her under robes showed flashes of purple blossom and vibrant red stripes. But her flinty gray eyes pinned him in place as her perfectly coiffed head floated nearly three feet above her shoulders.

Haku gaped at the Rokuro Kubi (3), but not because of her stretching neck.

Like him she was both and neither. Her ties were cut.

"Who are they, Kubi-san?"

As Haku sharp eyes darted to him the diminutive yokai in traditional dress dove behind the woman's perfect white feet, squealing like a rodent. Loosing his battered conical hat and tossing up the leash of the red lantern in his three-fingered hand, the creature gazed around the woman's ankles with one wide round eye (4), nervously licking his lips with an uncommonly long tongue. Lazily the lantern floated up, sleepily blinking the ribs of its singed eye until Kubi shoved it down with her hand. Shaped like crawling centipedes, the foil legs of the gold pins stuck in her hair shivered as her slender white neck stretched, looping in delicate curls like smoke issuing from the tobacco pipe she was chewing. She was forced to relinquish the stem as higher and higher her head floated so she could look down at him with sharp curiosity.

"This one's mortal, Bozu."

She pronounced the word with none of the venom other kami would have used.

"H-how'd he get thru the tunnel!?"

The little goblin returned the hat to his tonsured head, struggling to catch the lead on his drifting lantern. Haku had no time to worry that these creatures had seen him for what he was. On his knees and holding up his blade, Haku bowed, begging in earnest.

"Please! I beg of you, let us pass!"

" _Shhh!"_ Bozu scolded pertly, "You're too loud!"

Perfectly balanced, Kubi shoved the goblin back with one of her tiny feet.

"What will you give me if I let you pass?"

Her head drew down onto her shoulders, making her look like any other woman.

"W-whatever you wish within my power to give!"

She bent from her hip, searing him with the sharp stare of her frigid gray eyes.

"Even a kiss?"

Blinking rapidly, Haku sat back on his heels as blood rushed to his face.

"Ha! Look at 'im blush, Bozu!" Kubi's laugh was cold as snow. She was back to chewing the stem of her pipe, revealing her teeth were blackened in the old style, "That's my price! Take it or rot!"

At once Tomoe had him by the back of his cloak.

"Do not trust her, my lord," He hushed tersely, "She could be lying."

It was true. Her ties were cut. She was no bound by the laws of kami.

"Look, Bozu," tossing her pipe to the goblin, Kubi's head launched from her shoulders like a balloon on a string, hovering high with interest, "It's a motorcycle. That's probably how they got thru… Hmph, I should have asked for that."

Haku blanched. They could not give up the bike. What other choice had they?

"I accept your offer, Kubi-san."

Her frozen eyes wheels back to him as Haku shrugged out of the ghost's grpi.

He stood shakily, trying not to tremble.

In all his life he had only kissed one woman.

Sick with shame, he prayed Chihiro would forgive him for what he was about to do, but Cinna's life depended on him. Kubi's eyes flashed like mirrors as he came up to the net, careful not to touch the slender filaments. And his knees began to quake as the woman's head sank back onto her shoulders, hovering closer and closer until her breath blew over his face. It smelled strongly of smoke.

He jolted as her white hands flashed through the net, seizing his face.

They were startlingly warm and perilously strong.

He gasped as she claimed his mouth as hers, swallowing the sound eagerly. Haku gripped her wrists as she breathed him in like the smoke from her pipe. At once he was weak and close to fainting as it seemed like he was draining away like drawn water. But just as abruptly Kubi dropped him. As he folded to his heels trembling and gasping, half stuck to the net and sending a chorus of bells ringing, Kubi stared at him askance. There was a storm in her gray eyes as she sank to her heels opposite him. She was looking as if seeing him for the first time.

"You…" She hushed, equally as breathless as she reached through the net, making his skin crawl as she brushed his cheek, "You taste like rain."

Hastily she retreated as Tomoe loomed over him threateningly. Haku caught him by the hem of his sooty robes otherwise he was quite sure the ghost would have surged right thru after the woman. Kubi snatched up the one-eyed goblin, slinging him up onto her back and all the while watching the ghost cautiously.

"Give me the bell, Bozu."

The creature's only eye went so wide it took over his entire head. He whispered in her ear with fierce terror.

"W-what about Garuda, Kubi-san?"

He whispered the name as if it terrified him.

"Since when do I give a fig for Garuda?!" Kubi snarled back showing her sharp black teeth, "Now give me the bell!"

" _Shhh!_ You don't have to shout!"

Still clinging to her back, the goblin produced a wadded bit of cloth from his tattered obi. From this Kubi yanked a tiny brass bell. It rang sonorously as she struck it with her pipe. Sparks knocked free from the cup, curling around her face as at once the filaments of the net quivered and hummed in sympathy. They snapped free from the floor, rolling up and ripping tears in Haku's shirt as they unblocked the tunnel mouth. Already retreating, Kubi shoved the listing lantern into the distance, pointing with her pipe as it diffidently floated in the opposite direction.

"Follow Chouchin. She will lead you out."

Tomoe turned dangerous words onto the gate keeper as he hauled Haku to his feet.

"If you lead us astray, forsaken one, I shall haunt you till the end of days."

Kubi's eyes flashed like knives as her pipe embers made her white face glow.

"Misery loves company, ghost, now get out of here and don't come back."

Haku pulled Tomoe's arm, "We have no time!"

In a single fluid motion the ghost turned and picked up the fading cat. At once he was back in the side car and Haku was striking the engine. The cavern swallowed the motorcycle's roar as his sharp eyes followed the point of white floating by the tunnels atop the road spur. Ticking the vehicle into gear, they pitched forward so swiftly the tires fishtailed on the cobbles, crunching dead black grass and rotted metal beneath their spinning wheels. An urgent wind plucked at Haku's back as they circled the massive stone bowl, sending echoes ricocheting around the cavern. As the engine whined and labored they climbed the wall with aching slowness. But ahead the white Chouchin anxiously hovered at the entrance to one of the tunnels.

She circled and dallied against one of the phantom winds.

Caught up in an overpowering gust, she was sucked out of sight.

"Wait!" Haku cried aloud.

Gunning the contraption's throttle, sending their tires screeching and belching black smoke, they hit the top of the spur and hooked around the corner into the seemingly tiny tunnel. In hindsight everything looked small in comparison to the way of the Yamanote Wheel. At once Haku found himself lodged between the disembodied eyes of a ghost train. As if chased, the Chouchin rocketed ahead of them, transformed into an ethereal orb as she was illuminated by the eerie green-yellow lights.

Thick rotted rings of braided straw rushed by: one, two, three!

The tattered shide hanging from the coils waved vigorously as they passed.

At once the smells of the mortal world flooded around them as they hooked around a corner onto a wider path. Tracks lifted up beneath the motorcycles wheels like line of polished silver. They bounced up and down, vibrating from head to toe as the phantom lights faded beside them, dwindling beneath the acid hum light of the florescent bars overhead. More lights flashed: red circles crossed by a bar as bells rung and clanged. Abruptly the tunnel broke over their heads and they whipped between a series of platforms sprinkled by humans in heavy jackets. Haku stood up on the spokes, glancing back as the Chouchin floated straight up into the air.

Then a horn sounded in front of him, not at all hollow of distant.

Throwing his eyes ahead Haku saw the train.

" _Jump!"_ He commanded Tomoe.

At once the ghost launched overhead like a springing spider, dissolving into shadows and taking Cinna with him. Stretching the limits of the magic still afforded him, Haku tore his cloak from his back and moved between the seconds of mortal time. As the world slowed he threw the tattered transparent cloth in front of the motorcycle, sidestepping off the seat and pulling with all his might. The vehicle disappeared into the endless folds of his cloak, at once swallowed into silence. A burst of wind ignited beneath his foot like a firecracker, shooting him up into the air. Weightless for a moment, he deftly back flipped as one might swim in water, hitting the edge of the platform just as the train went screaming by in a clicking, hissing, horn blaring rush.

The wind of its passing shoved him back into a crowd of humans; several gasped and recoiled in a wide circle as they saw him. Hastily Haku whirled on his cloak, struggling to disappear beneath the terrible caustic burn of the artificial lights. As a flash of black coursed by and Haku followed on instinct, pushing his way between the milling startled mortals until he broke into the empty corridors of the subway station. A bone-chilling wind poured down the steps thick with cold and heavily laden with the powdery scent of ice. Haku chased the smell of fresh air, surmounting case after case of stairs only to abruptly spill out into the beige tiled sidewalk.

Above his head the bare sky lifted impossibly high.

It was as if he had become weightless again, no longer crushed and ground into smallness by heavy walls of stone. At once Haku fell to his knees as wild relief sent him boneless at the sight of the thick gray clouds. His ragged breath blew from his lips in thick plumes, teeth chattering audibly as the wind stripped him of all warmth. And he searched the strange landscape with wide eyes. Because when he had crossed the trees were red with leaves. But now a thick layer of snow coated everything in sight, falling with eerie silence and blanketing the world in white.

It was snowing; snowing in Tokyo.

* * *

 **Notes** :

(1) Kan'ei-ji is a Tendai Buddhist temple closely associated with the Tokugawa shoguns, who had built the temple to guard Edo Castle against the north-east, then considered an unlucky direction. The temple was destroyed during the Boshin War, a civil war in Japan, fought from 1868 to 1869 between forces of the ruling Tokugawa shogunate and those seeking to return political power to the imperial court.

(2) Ueno Park is a famous public park with many museums, temples, and attractions located in the Ueno section of Taito, Tokyo, Japan. Taito, incidentally, is where the Yoshiwara pleasure quarters were located in the Edo era. Ueno Park also has one of the highest concentrations of homeless in all of Tokyo.

(3) Rokukuro Kubi look like normal human beings by day, but at night they gain the ability to stretch their necks to great lengths. Although they usually eat worms and centipedes and have an odd penchant for licking up lamp oil, because they are often female and stunningly beautiful, they use their feminine wiles to lure their preferred meal: the energy of lustful men.

"In their daytime human form rokurokubi often live undetected and may even take mortal spouses. Many rokurokubi become so accustomed to such a life that they take great pains to keep their demonic forms secret. They are tricksters by nature, however, and the urge to frighten and spy on human beings is hard to resist. Some rokurokubi thus resort to revealing themselves only to drunkards, fools, the sleeping, or the blind in order to satisfy these urges. Other rokurokubi have no such compunctions and go about frightening mortals with abandon. A few, it is said, are not even aware of their true nature and consider themselves normal humans. This last group stretch their necks out while asleep in an involuntary action; upon waking up in the morning, they find they have weird dreams regarding seeing their surroundings in unnatural angles." –Obake Project

(4) Hitotsume Kozo are roughly the size of ten-year-old children, but otherwise resemble bald Buddhist priests. Their most distinctive feature, however, is a single, giant eye peering from the center of the face, along with a long tongue.

"Hitotsume-kozō are relatively harmless creatures, content to run about frightening human beings or telling loud people to be quiet (they enjoy silence). However, many people consider an encounter with a one-eyed goblin to be a bad omen. For this reason, the superstitious often leave bamboo baskets in front of their houses, as these are reputed to repel the creatures. A reason for this may be that, in seeing the basket's many holes, the hitotsume-kozō will see the basket as having many eyes, and run away jealous and ashamed at only having one." – Obake Project.


	18. Chapter 18

**HAKU**

Haku stared in dismay at row after row of blindingly colorful packaging.

The caustic lights made him blink rapidly, doubting his sight for a moment.

He had luck with the metal canisters containing drink. The pictures on their fronts and the names were far more familiar than he feared. Tea remained tea in spite of the massive plastic rectangles in which humans caddied the brew. Some things never changed, not even after all this time. He put several brittle plastic trays of andango (1) and manjuu (2) into his basket, probably more than was prudent. He followed suit for the black plastic trays of Inari sushi. But before him now were endless shelves of overly inflated foil bags depicting strange creatures and none of them appealing to eat!

Picking one at random he read the words and found them of no help.

Koara no Maachi (1)? What was a Koara? The package showed a bear hugging a tree. It had a bulbous black nose and a simple smile; on her back the bear's young was equally sweet. What manner of monsters were these humans!? How could he bring himself to eat such a kind faced creature!?

Forsaking the sea of smiling food, Haku nervously skirted the humming cold cases until he found bento in metal containers stacked by the front counter. They were hot and collecting condensation beneath the vibrating red lamps. He jumped as the front door dinged a terrible mechanical noise. It was no welcome at all in spite of the fact that they bent old woman who entered seemed not to think anything of it. Realizing the human female behind the counter was eying him dubiously, Haku awkwardly busying himself with selecting from the boxed lunches.

Now that his basket was full Haku found himself in a panic. It was so common a sentiment now he no longer found the quaking of his knees to be novel. Glancing askance at the clerk, he passed the counter twice before diverting to glance blindly at the racks of cold cures and medicinals to either side of the register. Haku also made a great show of looking over the colorful printed booklets of papers propped in vertical shelves.

So distressed was he that it took him a moment to recognize Chihiro.

Her hair was pulled back into a tight twist.

And she was wearing lipstick.

He almost dropped his basket.

"That it, sweetie?" The clerk drawled rudely.

She leaned out over the counter, looking him up and down dismissively as she drew a long pull on the cigarette stuck as if by glue to the corner of her sour mouth. Snatching up the waxy paper volume Haku stuffed it into the basket, which he thrust in front of him with an ill at ease bow.

"These I have selected!"

"I can see that," She muttered acerbically, blowing the limp curls of her lackluster black hair from her eyes.

Without hurry, the clerk unloading the basket and ran each item in front of a red glowing bit of glass that uttered a shockingly loud _BEEP_. And as each item went into filmy white plastic bags, Haku's heart sank like a stone in his chest at the mounting little green number displayed on the dirty register's face.

He had no money.

His pockets were full of dead dry leaves.

Although what the human saw and what he showed her were different things.

Haku's insides burned and scrambled at the thought of stealing.

But what choice did he have?

"That'll be 2500 Yen (4)."

She expelled a great cloud of chemical stinking smoke, eyeing him with her tired yellowed gaze. Choking and half blinded by the foul miasma, Haku slapped the dry leaves on the counter, grabbed the bags and hurried for the door.

"Oi? _Oi!?"_ The clerk shouted after him angrily. Turning he found her leaning across the counter holding out a wad of bills, "You forgot your change!"

Her long nails were an ugly red.

They clacked on the counter impatiently, making his insides squirm.

"T-thank you!"

Inching back just far enough to snatch the crisp paper from her fingers, Haku turned and fled the store in a terror as the bell rang loudly in his wake.

Outside the bitter cold was waiting for him.

So was the white lantern.

As Haku pulled the illusion of the heavy winter coat closer around his neck the chouchin trembled in excitement until he glanced at it irritably. It would not stop following him, which was somewhat lucky because it had already saved him twice when he lost his way searching for a place to purchase food.

"Alright," he sighed, "Let us go back, Chouchin-san."

The light inside guttered brightly as the lantern's ribs swelled with glee. As if they were playing a game it took off like an arrow, forcing Haku to chase.

" _W-wait, Chouchin-san!"_

He ran from the shop marked with the red K inscribed by a circle; ran on fleet feet as other humans slipped and struggled on the ice. Snow continued to fall, piling in the wide street. Cars spun and struggled in the white ruts gathering amidst the towering concrete and glass buildings. Up and up and up these went! Clambering so close to each other wind could barely pass between them. The structures' faces were so festooned with glowing rectangles boards and other jumbled illuminated signage that the inscribed words became meaningless. Haku dove between anxious faced mortals waiting beneath a too tiny overhang of glass and metal. Again and again they glanced at the tiny plastic rectangles in their hands, oblivious to white lantern as it streaked over their heads like a gull.

Some of them wore white face masks, making Haku glance back in surprise for he had not known humans to wear masks habitually. It was barely morning but already the streets were packed. It seemed this place never slept in spite of the heavy clouds turning dawn to dusk. Somewhere overhead and hidden in the low clouds an airplane roared and car horns honked as he was forced to dart across the wide avenue or loose the chouchin. But he was beginning to recognize the buildings again as they shrank in size, giving way to an immense white stripped intersection. The lines spilled up a slow hill into dense woods utterly at odds with the urban surroundings.

The bare limbed trees were not ancient by any means, but their swelling criss-crossing arms formed a protective bower over the wide concrete path that seemed to throw off the advances of the encroaching city. The clean smell of wet dirt replaced the stink of burning gasoline. And the arches of wood drew back revealing the dour gray soaked sky. All ahead of him and bristling at either side of the wide path the black boughs of frost laden sakura trees splashed against the white of the world like haphazard streaks of sumi ink. Though the humans were sparser here, myriad footprints tracked lines of travel back and forth, here and there, only to fade away beneath the persistent fall of snow. Watching them without comment huge stone lanterns lurked between the trunks, looking like granite ghosts in the floating veils of ice.

Struck by the sight, Haku slowed to stillness.

Even here in this warren of metal and filth there was beauty.

Shyly Chouchin returned to hover above his head as if sorry for leaving him. Hurrying again for he wanted the food to stay hot, Haku followed the lantern through a colorless world until there was a flash of red to his left. Red, the color still made his insides tremble; but here they unfolded in a long line of vermillion torii pressed between the foreboding blank walls and gabled roofs of two temple buildings so low the lintels of the gates hovered high over their eaves. Flashes of green-blue tile showed under the piling snow. The black wrought iron gate at the front was open. A pair of red-bibbed stone foxes greeted him wordlessly, half hidden in snow. Somehow, in the sea of madness that made this foreign world, he found a shadow of home.

As Haku passed through the shadows gathering between the buildings of the Inari Shrine, the biting wind penetrating the thin guise of his coat all but disappeared. Ahead the narrow stone path pitched down a series of slick stairs; anyone else might have slipped. Below was a silent grotto clambering with red gates, age browned paper lanterns, and roof after tiny green-blue roof for the many tiny family shrines tucked under the naked black bodies of the old leaning trees. Over these Chouchin drifted like an ethereal jellyfish, following him lazily.

Weaving through the narrow stone paths, Haku followed round corner after corner, chasing toward the wide roof of the main shrine. Small movements scrambled at the foot of the stones, clambering among the white dusted evergreen shrubs as tiny black eyes glanced at him curiously from the shadows. He had not been surprised to find kami here. It was a sanctuary in many ways. The snow made a sharp line of contrast between the outer world and the inner sanctum of the main shrine, making the red offering box gleam in the dim morning as if newly painted. The thick braid of the shinegawa in the rafters looked like gold against the heavy dark wood. Two tiny stone foxes watched him from either side of the path. As if bundled for winter by prayers, round there necks were a pile of red bibs. Haku had to chip through the ice on the surface of the water basin so he could wash his hands.

Again and again he washed until his fingers were white and shaking with cold.

The blood was gone, washed away by the falls at the Yamanote Tunnel mouth.

But he could still feel the horrible stickiness on his face and hands.

Oh, how he longed for a proper bath.

Close to frostbite, Haku bowed just beyond entering the shrine. He left the inari sushi on the offering block, making a quick prayer for the cat. Picking up the bags he crept around the side of the shrine, careful not to step inside as he slipped through the yellowed bamboo, sidling along a wet stone wall green with moss to the back of the building shrine. Here was a tall slat fence. Easily he found the loose board, squeezing through the resulting gap and suddenly glad to be small.

Behind the shrine complex was a narrow alley. The cobbled incline terminated in a dilapidated shed that, like its roof, had gone completely green with moss. It listed against the massive stone retaining wall holding up the hill behind it. A narrow slice of the barrier was cut out into a set of worn stairs leading in a winding arc up to the back of a tea house or restaurant of some kind that towered high overhead. Trash and crate after crate of carefully sorted garbage lined up beside a large metal dumpster rank with sweet rot, obscuring the fact that the shed's lock had been broken.

From another dumpster Haku salvaged the meal that saved Cinna's life.

He was determined she should not ever have to eat as such ever again.

Squeezing through a gap in the rickety door, his sharp eyes quickly adjusted to the gloom. The shed's interior was much warmer than outside, perhaps insulated by the littered piles of ancient broken things. Paper wards against bad luck and fire were stuck to the four walls, some so ancient they had almost faded away. Haku knew why. It was bad luck to throw away things over a certain age, lest the abandoned spirits come back seeking retribution. The habit was not misplaced for a few objects skittered into hidden corners. Broken chairs, cracked tables, and piles of chipped dishes cluttered the dim interior. They were right at home among these unwanted discarded things.

Looking like a discarded quilt himself, Tomoe folded up atop the pile of rodent chewed tatami. The mats were slowly turning to mush as they grew nearer and nearer the damp stone floor, but still, they offered protection from the frozen stone beneath his feet. The ghost had used moth-eaten cushions to make a futon for the cat whom he held closely in his arms. Not for the first time Haku was struck by the ghost's expression. As if afraid of his own hands, Tomoe gently rocked Okesa back and forth with aching slowness, all the while singing wordlessly. His tenor voice was sweet and soft as any of his golden strings.

As he intruded on the private moment something stirred tight an uncomfortable inside his chest. How he had forsaken the afterlife Haku was no sure. But he knew that the spirit had dwelled inside that shamisen for hundreds of years, all so that he would be near to Okesa. Though any other God would have recoiled in horror from the ghost, Haku commiserated with the power of Tomoe's love.

He understood it all to well.

Tomoe's voice silenced abruptly leaving Haku wanting more of the song. But the ghost shrank from the thin line of light that crept around the frame of the door. Hastily Haku shut the door and dropped the make-shift curtain, taking great care to blot out the pitiful light filtering through the snow outside. Though the ghost wore Kaonashi's body, his uncovered face remained a window into his truth. Without his mask and cowl drawn the harsh mortal light would burn him physically. Haku did not want to know what would happen under prolonged exposure.

But he forgot those things as the ghost tore his stricken eyes from Cinna. Tomoe's pale face was a blank with fear for the creature he so dearly loved. Haku's heart clenched at the sight. He had to force himself to speak.

"H-how is she?"

As if afraid of his own words the Tomoe continued in a whisper.

"She woke a short time ago and can barely speak or move without great pain… The poison afflicts her still. It is a miracle that she lives."

Stunned by the ghost's revelation, Haku could only stare. In the haste of the moment he had close the bleeding bites. He had not thought to purge the venom. Now it coursed the cat's veins, killing her slowly. Slowly, so as not to betray the shake in his hands, Haku set the bags on the edge of the adjacent mat. Gripping the rotted edge of the tatami, willing his knees to remain firmly locked, Haku turned his eyes to the cat.

Cinna was asleep with her head pillowed on Tomoe's chest. She looked so terribly tiny curled up in the folds of the long limbed phantom's cloak. Her short matted hair was brushed back from the pale moon of her pain tightened face and her breathing was shallow and labored. A bluish tinge crept into her lips and the hollows of her cheeks.

Already she was beginning to fade anew.

"Is there nothing you can do, Nigihayami-sama?" Tomoe beseeched.

Paralyzed with fear, Haku could only stare. Freshly Bah Fuh's words cut him like the knife she used to spill his blood. The bat could not lie; there was nothing he could do. None of the gifts Onsen had given him were powerful enough to treat such a grave affliction. He had no great magic with which to save Okesa, but that did not mean he had no hope. He could not save her, but Suzume could. With quaking fingers Haku riffled in the endless corners of his cloak, struggling to find the bath token that would them back to Onsen.

Then Cinna snorted as if annoyed.

Haku jerked his head up and froze in the cat's red-eyed gaze. His insides scrambled in horror as he stared back. As if stained by poison the whites of her eyes had turned a sickly yellow. Knowing full well what he was doing, she fought through the pain constricting her slitted pupils, struggling until a single word worked from her lips.

"No…" She breathed thru gritted teeth.

"Okesa," Tomoe began tersely.

He silenced, flinching as her claws sank into his chest. The very tip of her tail flicked as again she snorted in annoyance. Even that brought her pain. And Haku could not bear to look, could not stand to see her suffer. So he ignored her refusal, withdrawing the token. On his feet, Haku slapped the tile onto the rickety door. Magic sang like a ringing bell in the tiny shack as he jerked the portal open. Beyond the doorframe was a view of heaven. He did not look.

"Go!" Haku waved his hand at the door commandingly.

"Nigihayami-sama… I…" Obviously conflicted, Tomoe's jet eyes were bright with reluctance, but both fear and gratitude glittered in his jet eyes as the ghost stared between him and the portal.

" _I said go!"_ Haku commanded harshly.

Cinna rasped throatily, choking on wordless sounds as she tried in vain to struggle. But the ghost ignored her protests. Standing with her in his arms, he glided for the portal. All the same, somehow Cinna caught Haku's cloak in passing, pulling Tomoe to a halt just before he could cross the threshold.

"No…!"

Her voice shattered on the edge of panic, breaking into silence. Thick green tears oozed from her yellowed eyes, crusting in the corners as she refused to let go. Because the cat knew that if they crossed they would not return. Haku would not let her remain. He would not risk her life to a journey that was not hers. Not after all she had done for him. Because the cat was more than his friend; she was family.

Taking her transparent hand in Haku he cringed.

She was so very cold. But then again, kami were always cold.

"Please, imoto. (6) Please go." He appealed hoarsely as he bent over her hand, pressing it to his face, "Go, so I might see you again."

What little color left in her fading face drained away as he lifted his eyes to her. Such pain rioted in her bloody red irises as she stared at him with her side sickly eyes. Slowly, as if every movement cost her, Cinna she let go, reaching for him even as Tomoe streaked over the threshold. In spite of himself Haku reached after her as a stab of terror ran him through. And the ghost came up short on the other side as if reconsidering.

Opening his mouth to say something, Tomoe glanced back.

Haku slammed the door in his face.

Hastily he pried off the tile and shoved it into his cloak lest the ghost try to return for him. Whirling away, he paced the tiny strip of stone back and forth, hugging himself against the shout of sadness burning on his lips as the tingle of magic faded away like dissipating smoke, until it was gone.

His insides coiled with cold debilitating terror.

They constricted tighter and tighter until something inside him broke.

Slumped sideways he fell against the rotted pile of mats. At once all that had happened caught up with him in a crushing rush. He barely felt the frozen stone floor because the loss of time was beyond disturbing. _Months_ had passed! So many that dry green summer faded to winter snow in a handful of days! There was not enough time for him to cope with it all: the ocean's curse, loosing Chihiro, returning to the Bath House, and then the madness of Shitamachi.

It was too much.

This time Cinna was not here to comfort him.

She would be well, he assured himself as he bent over his knees, struggling to slow his erratic breath. She would be well. Suzume would care for her and make her whole. In spite of his promises Haku teetered on the edge of passing out. Bright sparklers flashed inside his eyes. And in that fragile moment he was forced to come to grips with the fact that he was alone once more.

Alone… Completely alone…

Just as he was in the closet at the Tanuki's restaurant.

Absently tightening his hand on Hanoane's hilt, Haku consoled himself with the fact that he was nowhere near as helpless. And considering what he had witnessed in the caverns below, the mortal world seemed far less frightening place. Haku blinked rapidly, clearing his vision as he found an odd calm in the midst of previous panic. But he was still weak and shaky with exhaustion as he climbed onto the piled cushions. Shivering convulsively, Haku wrapped himself in a cloak that suddenly seemed terribly thin again the biting cold emanated through the dark. He closed his eyes and tried not to sneeze at the musty smell of his makeshift bed, tried not to feel the aching in his feet and the even worse ache in his heart, because he so very badly wanted to go home. But by some miracle, a glimmer of hope started up in the dark pit of his heart, because somewhere in this concrete forest of glass and steel Chihiro lay sleeping.

He had kept his promise.

He had followed to Tokyo.

And though he had no further plan; though he did not even know where he was or how to find her; he had hope. To tired to think anymore Haku emptied his head and went to sleep.

* * *

 **LIN**

Lin looked up as shrieking laughter sounded from the fields.

It grew closer and closer as feet pattered up the back steps.

Amano flinched as invisible hands yanked open the back sliders. Cold breathed in from outside, offering Lin a momentary view of the blinding crystalline world outside. A freak storm had blown in from the north east and though it was only the first of December, it had snowed heavily last night, dumping curtains of huge fluffy flakes until every rock, tree, roof, and banister was blanketed in a pristine coat of white. Enormous icicles hung from the back porch veranda. The chocolate colored rabbit fled to the hearth clutching her broom as God and human poured in the door, filling the kitchen with their breathless enthusiasm until it seemed incapable of accommodating them.

" _Woo!_ It's so _cold!_ " Little Green Frog cheered as he hopped in place.

As he did the illusion of his humanity faded. The little blond boy went green haired as his feet and hands became webbed

"Isn't snow is so great!?" Kai grinned through his pluming breath, completely unfazed by the frog's transformation.

Gods did not feel the wintry temperatures the way humans did, but they still felt the chill. L.G. wore a traditional padded coat of his indigo pants and short kimono, but his webbed feet and shiny green pate were bare. The human boy, however, wore plush orange-yellow synthetic clothing and heavy-soled boots.

"I'll take you sledding later, kay?"

"What's sledding?"

Looking up, Lin found the boy pink-cheeked and chap-lipped from the cold as he paused on the threshold to pull of his snow boots. L.G. squatted beside him with a curious frown.

"Sledding later, chores now," Amano cut in without a backward glance.

He spooned miso paste into the huge steaming pot on the stove. Lin glanced over, watching him work. His burned arm was no longer in a sling and he was used it less and less with the slow care that marked pain. That made Lin glad. But she could tell the scars bothered him, just as she could sometimes see the sadness in his distant hazel eyes. Though it was cold, she had yet to see him wear anything that showed the angry puckered red flesh that covered his entire left arm and chest. A small crescent of the burn showed at the collar of his indigo coat as if a reminder that you could never really hide anything away completely.

"But I just got on vacation!" Kai whined, "It might _never_ snow like this _ever_!"

His father was unmoved.

"Keep whinin' like that an' you're gonna get bathroom. What's on the list, Lin?"

"Shoveling the front and back walks with L.G."

Lin didn't miss the sharp glance Amano threw at her. He, however, did not argue. Across the table Kiri snickered, obviously struggling not to laugh. Amano shot her a sour glare. It was almost hard to see her over the envelopes mounded like drifts of snow on the table. Amano had arrived that morning with frog-sized bags, the most they'd every received. Mail day constituted a massive task. Lin had been forced conscripted Natsumi, Kiri, and Reika to help her wade through the letters, separating actual mail addressed to the Hakuryo Onsen from mail sent in hopes of reaching Sen.

"Really!?" The little frogman was all sparkling eyes as he turned on her.

"Awesome!" Kai cheered, "High-five!"

Amano rolled his eyes and returned to cooking as the human and kami slapped their hands together in the catch-all human motion of greeting or congratulations the boy had taught L.G. The kinship between the two was obvious and such a smile pulled Lin's lips that the scar on her face tightened.

"Um… W-where's Mr. Yoshi?"

Kai and L.G. jumped and shied from Usagi.

On silent bare feet the brown rabbit had crept up on them. No good a hiding what she was, the kami wore Onsen's indigo yukata and the truth of her race plainly. Her pink nose wiggled nervously as her long soft ears swept back beneath a handkerchief like braids. Sweeping the trailing snow back out onto the porch, she peered over L.G.'s head out at the snow as if it terrified her. By way of an answer L.G. yelped, knocking him flat on the floor inside the doorway as a flash of pink and gold bowled him over. Flying in from outside Hiko and Ginka arrived at the rabbit's feet on a frosty wind like fleet winged sparrows.

"Uncle Yoshi made the trees drop snow on us, Miss Usagi!" Hiko huffed.

The brown rabbit frowned disapprovingly, "That wasn't very nice."

"So we made a snow frog out of him!" Hiko grinned mischievously.

"W-what?" The rabbit stammered as she straightened in surprise.

"We buried him over there," they chimed in unison, pointing vaguely.

Usagi dropped her broom, sprinting out into the backyard.

"Yoshi!?" Her distant cries echoed off the God wind, _"Yoshi!?"_

"Did you girls really bury Yoshi in the snow?" Natsumi had to crane her neck to see the young yuna. Her almond shaped eyes were wide with concern.

"Don't worry, ma'am, he deserved it." L.G. flashed Natsumi a wide grin before motioning to the human boy, "C'mon, Kai. Let's get the shovels from the shed. I betcha we can make a fort out of the extra snow."

"Can we go too, Natsumi-san?" Hiko pleaded.

"Please?" Ginka amended with a wheedling smile.

"You certainly may not! Go see to the bath wing. I'll join you soon as I finish."

"Aww…" At once the little yuna were wearing their indigo uniforms as they breezed up the kitchen stairs, through the split curtain, and into the hall.

"Check on, Aniyaku," Lin threw after them, "Make sure he's not sleeping!"

"Yes, ma'am!" They sang cheerily from the hall.

"Wait!" Yanking his boots back on, Kai chased the frog out the back door as L.G. all but dissolved with the speed afforded kami.

" _Goddamnit_ , Kai!" Amano stomped after them, yelling out the backdoor, "Lin said to shovel the walks not dig in the snow!"

He cut off abruptly and recoiled as the door slipped shut of its own accord. Kiri was full on laughing now, wringing a wry grin from Natsumi who'd been working without comment.

"Babe, you're _not_ helpin'," Amano stabbed an angry finger at the back door, "That kid's runnin' amuck out here."

The human's laughter intensified as Reika began to snore, listing backwards until gold teeth showed through her open mouth. The old woman was dozing beside the former temple maiden, wrapped in an enormous padded jacket so thick it could have been a sleeping quilt. Like the old witch, the former temple maiden was dressed in an indigo blue yukata and a thickly quilted haori. Dropping her eyes Lin noted how the stiff obi accentuated the growing bulge of Kiri's belly. She was definitely showing now. From the careful way Amano touched and moved around his betrothede these past few weeks since the accident Lin knew Kiri had finally worked up enough courage to tell him.

Though Kiri had finally made peace with Keiichi in the aftermath of Izuko's death, the wedding was still on hold for Nani's sake. Unfortunately for Kiri, that meant there was no hope of hiding her pregnancy until after the ceremony. That meant coping with the village's constant disapproval, which was probably the reason Kiri spent most of her spare time at the Onsen. Lin welcomed her without question.

"C'mon, Mah-chan," Kiri wouldn't give up her grin, "Let 'em have fun. How often does it snow and stick this early?"

"Never," he muttered grudgingly.

"Wanna go for a walk after lunch is served?"

"Maybe just a quick one," A light went on in his hazel eyes as he peered out the window at the dazzling icicles, "M'makin' beef and yams for dinner since we've got a smaller crowd."

They had only a single elderly couple from Nagano staying with them. The old humans had no problem driving in the snow thanks to the beast of a vehicle they parked in the lot out front. The studded tires were nearly as tall as Hiko and Ginka! Unfortunately or fortunately depending on how she looked at it, most of the other guests for the next couple of days had canceled due to the snow storm. Apparently it had reached all the way to Tokyo and was wreaking havoc on the trains and passes.

Tokyo: the city's name stuck in her mind as she turned back to sorting mail.

The uneasy feeling tightened in her chest as she looked down at the envelopes.

At first it had been hard for Lin to see Sen's human name over and over again, written in tiny letters by hundreds of stranger's hands. It had been even harder for her to neatly re-bag and store them in Sen's room. But Sen would probably want to look at them when she came home. With a slow sinking feeling of sadness Lin was beginning to accept that Sen wouldn't be present at the birth. It had been nearly a month since Usagi's arrival and still they'd had no word from Haku.

Was he warm enough? Did he have enough food? Was the cat taking care of him?

Planting a hand on the table to steady herself, she yanked her fingers up as something she touched shocked her. Suddenly all sound seemed to drain from the world as her eyes fixed on and picked out a handwriting from the sea of words. Slowly; carefully so as not to attract attention; Lin cleared the other letters from the smallish package. It was addressed to _The Hakuryo Onsen Staff_. In the upper left hand corner was a return address. All the numbers made absolutely no sense. But she knew the name and the city just as she knew the writing.

 _Ogino Chihiro._

 _Aoyama Tokyo._

"Something wrong, Lin?"

She jolted in her seat, glancing up and finding Kiri craning her neck to look over the mail at her. The human's face was pinched with concern. Then Lin flinched as one kits kicked the other, starting a ferocious battle inside her massive stomach.

"Ouch! _Ouch!_ "

"Y-you okay?" Kiri was on her feet, forcing Lin to wave off their concern.

"They're kicking each other again. Ah… There's not enough room inside me anymore. I just need to walk around. Moving always makes them quiet down."  
"Do you want some company?" Natsumi's uncannily large eyes followed her.

"I'll be fine," Lin tried not to be short, "Be back in a bit."

Furtively Lin slipped the package into her haori coat pocket before she stood with a great deal of difficulty. Just then Usagi's voice filtered from the porch and the slider jerked open. The rabbit came in guiding along the reedy frog while rubbing his arms vigorously. She had tied her scarf around his head, making him look like a blueberry.

" _C-c-c-c-col-d-d-d-d!"_ His teeth chattered audibly and he moved with woodenly.

"We'll getcha something warm t'drink!" Usagi coached.

Natsumi was fighting a grin, "Not gonna drop snow on the girls again?"

" _N-n-n-n-n-no!"_ He sniffed tearfully.

Kiri and Amano jerked in perfect unison as a fire started up from the old hearth in a cheery crackling _whoosh_. Lin hid her knowing smile as the humans glanced at each other sheepishly. The human cook dropped the ladle he'd been holding, but it paused mid-air, flipping back up into the huge bubbling pot. Leaving the ladle to stir itself, he knocked on a cabinet door. A score of cups sprang out at the house's instruction before landing on the counter. Onsen lifted the kettle from the hook over the stove and sent it sailing to the sink to fill beneath the spigot. As it hissed on Reika started awake with a jolt, blinking blearily as she adjusted her glasses.

"What about the snow?"

Before she got caught up in anything else Lin climbed the back stairs. Winded by the time she reached the second floor landing, she came into the hall and stood in a pool of early sunlight. Outside the windows dripping icicles festooning the bridge to the God Wing; beyond the building a pristine expanse of white stretched on until blots of inky black that were the distant pines broke their way through at the tree line. Heedless to the sight, she pulled the package from her coat and put her teeth to the tab at the top. Ripping it free in a long line, she emptied the contents onto the floor in her haste to see what was inside.

A book bounced off the floor, crisp pages falling open to one of the many pictures inside. Lin knew the faces immediately. She and Sen were scrubbing the big tub. It was like someone had reached into her head and pulled the memory free only to press it between the pages here. With a familiar tightness closing around her chestLin squatted beside the book, turning it so she could see the front, already knowing what it was. The brightly colored exterior reflected off the polished maple floors. On the cover a girl in pink stared at the blue sky. High overhead a long looping line of white that could have been a cloud distantly chased the horizon.

 _Spirited Away, by Ogino Chihiro._

 _Illustrated by Satako & the National Cancer Center Hospital __Children's Ward_

Timidly, almost as if afraid she might be dreaming or that it would somehow fall apart if she touched it, she put her fingers on the face of the book. But it was real. It didn't fall apart. And her heart swelled because Sen had finished her project.

Lin blinked as she found a piece of pink paper poking out.

Drawing it free of the pages, she read the familiar handwriting.

 _Thank you for looking after things in my absence. –Chihiro_

Lin was forced to sit down on the floor beside the book, turning her back on it while still holding the slip of paper in her only hand. She struggled not to crush it though she wanted to. Instead she threw it aside, because it was all so very cruel.

The note was from Chihiro, not Sen.

Chihiro sent the book to them, not Sen.

There was no way for her to know how much her gift hurt. To anyone else it might seem a considerate gesture but to Lin it was nothing but a terrible reminder that Sen was still sleeping. That meant Haku was still searching for her, probably lost and suffering somewhere in Tokyo. And Lin couldn't stand to think about such things, not knowing there was nothing she could do.

Then something clicked behind her.

Jolting towards the sound, her heart thrilled up into her throat as she realized the door to Sen's room just slid closed. At once the ceiling snapped and cracked ominously as Onsen gathered fretfully over her like a dour rain cloud. But the shinegawa they had strung across the archway remained intact. Nothing had crossed yet; the connection had only been forged. And she appealed to the ceiling for information.

"W-what is it?"

The floor shuddered anxiously at the unknown.

"Suzume!" Lin hushed beneath her breath, _"Suzume!"_

Then he was there.

Since returning he had given up his ridiculous fickle robes for a pair of hakama and a short kimono, both in Onsen's traditional indigo blue. The fox had also taken to binding back his spider silk hair. But now it flowed over his shoulders, drowning her in his smell as the fox collected her off the floor, putting her on her feet behind him and urging her toward the landing.

"Go downstairs," he instructed calmly.

His face, however, was tense as his reflective gold eyes remained fixed on the door way. Lin reached for a sword only to find Umi's knife as she refused.

"I won't leave you."

"If not for me then for the children,"He returned tersely.

As he spared an insistent glance over his shoulder, Lin was about to obey.

Then the door jerked open.

Suzume stepped in front of her as foxfires sputtered to life. Magic sang through the hallway, rippling through the Onsen's boards as the connection served just as something crossed only to be trapped by the rice rope wards they had laid in a circle around the threshold of the doorway. Lin's heart squeezed as something inky fluttered there. But before anything could be done the trespasser called out the fox's name.

" _Suzume-sama_!?"

As if she recognized the voice Onsen jolted in surprise.

" _I beg of you to come, Suzume-sama!"_ The stranger pleaded, _"Okesa is dying!"_

At once Suzume streaked forward and Lin was hard pressed to follow. But over her mate's shoulder she saw the tall faded shadow trapped on the threshold. She recoiled in shock for it looked a great deal like Kiri's boshi. But she forgot all that as she saw the barely visible outline of the slack figure in its arms.

"Give her to me!" The fox commanded.

Without hesitation the stranger gave her up. The moment Suzume took the cat she snapped back into solidity revealing the sick crusted green weeping from her closed eyes and the puckered red welts at her throat. Were those _bite_ marks!? Shock by her condition, Lin could only gape. Cinna seemed to fill the boundaries of every memory, standing larger than life. But now she was so very small.

"You shall remain in this circle, stranger," Suzume intoned ominously. Lin flinched as the promise in his words charged the air with static, "Try to escape or attempt to hurt any here and your life is forfeit."

At once the shadow sank to its knees inside its prison, growing transparent in the filtered sunlight as he bowed until his forehead pressed to the floor.

"You hold my life in your hands, great lord," It hushed as if resigned, "Save her."

Utterly baffled, Suzume tore his gaze aside so he could turn imploring eyes to her, obviously reluctant as he explained in a hurried rush.

"I do not want to leave you, beloved, but I go to the springs and I know not how long I shall be gone. Keep the others clear of this thing. Trust nothing it says for it is both but neither."

Lin blinked as that truth stunned her.

" _W-what!?"_

But then Suzume was gone, dissolving in a fizzling hiss along with his foxfires. At once the house dropped on her from above like a panicked flock of moths, filling her mind with fragmented confusing images that made no sense. A shamisen? Something about a shamisen?

"Onsen! _Onsen, stop!"_ Lin threw her off, _"_ What is your problem!?"

"What has happened!?"

Whirling towards the voice, Lin found Mrs. Nikkou on the landing.

Though the faded old witch looked wholly unthreatening holding her bow and red fletched arrow, her flashing gray eyes were alight with a fire she could not afford to spend. Behind her, holding his lighter with his thumb on the striker, Amano stood as shaking and pale as Kiri's. She had her betrothed by the belt like she could throw him out of harms way should it be necessary.

As Lin looked past them her heart froze inside her chest.

Outside a cloud must have passed over the sun, because suddenly the light flooding through the windows abate. Though Mrs. Nikkou and Amano obviously did not see it, the hallway behind Kiri was flooded with her shadow. It swelled to the point where it blotted out al the light, leaving a shaft of black in her wake. Whereas it had been harmless before now the boshi shifted restlessly like a waiting predator. But its wary attention flooded by and Lin followed it to the stranger.

"Peace, little sister. I mean you and yours no harm."

Lifting his face from the floor, the trespasser addressed the boshi as if it was a person. As he did Lin caught a glimpse of the smiling ivory mask inside his cowl.

" _K-Kaonashi!?"_

"Mostly, Lin-sama," the stranger replied reluctantly, bowing with slow reverence, "My name, however, is Tomoe."

"Lin," Amano started up like a sputtering short fuse, "What t'hell is goin' on!?"

* * *

 **Notes:**

(1) Koara no Maachi is a popular brand of sweet filled cookie. I like the chocolate and the strawberry flavor. Look for them in your Asian grocery store if you haven't tried them.

(2) & (3) Both are types of Japanese pastry/sweet. Unlike daifuku, which uses a chewy mochi outside, Manjuu are puffy leavened (means they have yeast or a rising agent in their dough) buns made with rice flour and filled with sweet red bean paste called an. Andango are rice dumplings on skewers that can either be savory or sweet, cold or grilled. OMG, NOM! _

(4) About $25.00.

(5) Iimoto means little sister.


	19. Chapter 19

**HAKU**

Haku had not meant to take Okesa's fans.

He had forgotten he still carried them until the folded bits of red and gold spilled from his cloak like rubies and bullion. The snow storm had passed, bringing a bright afternoon that was bitter, _bitter_ cold. So cold the shack became a freezer and he was forced to move about or else chill to death. He doubted he could survive many nights in that exposed hovel. But better accommodations required money; human money. And seeing the fans had given him an idea. They had earned a tidy profit in the underworld. Perhaps in the above they would be equally as useful?

Money aside, at least now he was warm.

Haku flowed and swayed in the refracting light glittering off the icicles hanging from every rail and branch in the sun drenched square at the heart of Ueno Park. With each paced step, with every whirl of his body and wave of his hands and arms, Haku crafted such music from the ringing rhythm of the gold and silver bells hanging from the fan's hafts. As if caught in his own magic, the tempo bespelled him as much as it entranced his audience. And it was as if Haku danced the clouds from the sky, because sunlight poured down from above as he melted through he rays of its light.

In spite of the cold crowds gathered as if attracted by the sound of the silver bells. Mystified and delighted, they watched with frequent cries of delight as if they had never seen anything of his like. Haku had no doubt they had not. Like smoke from a dragon's nostrils, his quick breath cast quick plumes of white from the mouth hole of his drawn mask. He wore the fantastic illusion of a hooded red wool robe with a wide golden shinegawa rope embroidered across arms, front, and shoulders. Red: he would not have chosen the color under any other circumstance. But none other would have sufficed in the world of white around him. Usually he might have been too shy to dance in front of strangers. But behind his guise he had arrived and so remained anonymous. The mystery it lent his spontaneous performance filled him with a strange thrill of enjoyment.

Haku adored dancing.

He loved it in the same way he loved the sky.

In a way it was much like flying. Dancing was moving without end and he turned himself over the wind as he did so. His red sleeves became wings, and like a cardinal he soared even though his feet were forced again and again to return to the ground. Not for long, for Haku could not keep himself from leaping and wheeling. Already his legs burned from his exertions. But still his heart sang with elation and he could not stop himself just yet.

Whirling into a tight graceful knot of trailing sleeves, as he had once seen Okesa do, Haku tossed the fans impossibly high. Though the ground was terribly icy, Haku cart wheeled forward, rebounding off the ground as if immune to gravity's rule. A lick of wind propelled him upward, sending him springing just as impossibly high. The throng gasped in awe as wind eddied and he snatched the fans from their freefall. He threw his arms wide upon landing and with crisp snicks they snapped open.

Red and gold flashed in the bitter cold afternoon.

And the crowd cheered uproariously as finally he came to stillness.

Only when faced by their uncommon enthusiasm did a hint of shyness crept through him. Haku did not, however, expect their boldness. At once the humans pressed in around him with a torrent of questions and compliments. So overwhelmed was he, Haku almost forgot to produce the broken wood bowl he had found in the shed. He had seen monks use similar vessels to plead for alms. He, however, was no beggar. Absolutely red in the face, which was nicely hidden by his mask, Haku could find no words with which to reply. Instead he bowed low again and again each time a coin or a note was placed in his bowl. The laughing humans seemed to take his silence in stride as if it were part of the performance.

All except for one.

Without a care for the others in the audience, a human pushed his way through the crowd with graceful turns that did not go unnoticed by Haku. Nor did he overlook the plush thickly quilted coat of strange slick-looking black material the human wore. It appearedquite warm. Haku shivered as the sweat beneath his clothes gave him a chill.

"You're fuckin' _amazing_ , man!"

The lithe young mortal accosted him with his awestruck exclamation. He was about Chihiro's age, perhaps older. Good posture aside, Haku was brought up short by his foul language and general disregard for personal space. The human got right up in his face. Haku blinked as the fellow bore down on him with earnestness bordering on zeal.

"Where _t'fuck_ did you learn t'dance like that!? Who d'you study with?!"

Haku blinked rapidly, shrinking from the human and his brash strange questions. While trying to decide whether or not to run he noted the human had a hint of an accent. Something about his rectangular face made him realize the mortal was not Japanese. Chinese? Korean? He had little experience with being from beyond Yamato (1) so there was no way for him to know.

"Y'dance locally? Modern or classical? Both probably, judging from your moves. But I gotta say it, man, are you a fuckin' circus freak or somethin'!? How t'hell d'you jump that _high_!?"

Here the human sniffed, looking him up and down critically before lifting his chin as if deciding something. A grin cracked his face upon his final words, making his narrow brown eyes disappear into suddenly good humor.

"Wish Meg coulda seen this! You dance _way_ better'n she does! Man, she's be so _fuckin'_ pissed it'd be awesome!"

Haku stared at the human blankly, considering perhaps the mortal was not quite right in his head. Distracted, he glanced aside as a tall woman in a formal black haori and kimono moved with painful slowness through the dispersing crowd.

"Language, Jae." She admonished mildly, coming right up behind the madman.

He startled, whirling to face her with a strange bow over his up thrown hands as he side stepped out of her way like a guilty child, "S-sorry, Sensei!"

Though she limped, leaning heavily on the delicate mahogany cane in her right hand, the human moved with an unhurried elegance. Her silver frosted hair was pulled back into a twist. Though she was more than middle aged and had weathered beneath time and trouble, she remained trim beneath her robes.

"You must be new to Ueno. I have never seen you perform before."

Her voice was deeper than he expected. She smiled at him generously, placing a large numbered note in his bowl. But then the human paused. Unconsciously Haku shrank from the sharp recognition she turned on the vessel in his hands. Although her gaze softened, growing enigmatic as it lifted to his masked face, making the light flash off her rectangular glasses if for a moment. Not without surprise he noticed her eyes were gray.

"T-thank you," he hushed hoarsely.

Bowing low as he stepped back Haku let the steady stream of passerby's cut between them. With the sun high overhead humans poured through the park in spite of the cold and the piles of snow. He was shocked by their number, but easily melted sideways into the tributary of bodies. Although he could not completely disappear beneath the bright sun, he faded into obscurity even as the madman followed.

"Hey!?" Jae came up short right in front of Haku as he searched the crowds in vain, "Hey, wait!?"

Haku fled the courtyard to one of the many thick copses of trees enshrouding the park, finding refuge beneath the wide-set feet of an enormous stone lantern. It was called the Demon Lantern, or so said the snow covered plaque erected in front of the structure. It had earned its name for it was almost as tall as the bare limbs elms arching overhead. A couple of shadowed kami scattered as he entered and crouched in the snow. Haku pushed up his mask, breathing out clouds of white as he counted out his earnings.

Counting the coins, bills, and the large note given to him by the gray-eyed woman, he found he had earned almost 5,000 yen (2). 2,500 of that yen he owed to the clerk at the store whose name was an encircled K. That left him another 2,500 yen, which was barely enough to purchase the food he had devoured down upon waking.

His heart sank in his already cold chest. What a fool he had been to think he could earn enough to buy lodging with only a single dance. He would have to dance again, but not here, not if the woman with the gray eyes might see him . She looked at him too closely and he was afraid of what she saw.

Light suddenly pushed back the thick shadows overhead.

"Hello, Chouchin." He murmured in distraction.

Glancing up he found the lantern hovering over his head curiously. She had turned to pale ghost thanks to the daylight. Pocketing the money, Haku removed his mask. His face went numb as the sweat on his cheeks turned icy and he squirmed uncomfortably as the mask burned against his skin. Gods above, it was _cold_!

Standing and glancing about, Haku searched the underbrush to make sure no one was watching. He had been surprised to find the park was full of make-shift camps. Blue tarps flashed like birds wings amongst the snow, carefully folded, clipped, and weighted down by rocks to keep from blowing away. These humans obviously lived here, for he had seen one shoveling the snow from the roof of his squat little hovel. Oddly out of place with the greenery, bicycles and small dressers missing drawers sprouted among shrubs as if they had grown there. Haku had been most surprised by the large clock hanging from a tree with the time on it, 12:32 PM. Earlier, as he had made his way in search of a clearing in which to dance, Haku watched pair of humans busy themselves with clearing a place for a small fire. Both were thin and tired. The younger placed a wire grill crowned by a pot over the meager tinder as the second tried to light it.

Haku found it terribly strange that none of the other passing humans so much as looked at these people, not even the elderly man asleep on the stone bench atop a cardboard futon and beneath a cloak of newspapers and plastic sheeting. Curiously he watched other humans arrive as if attracted by the thin curl of smoke from the fire, shuffling unhurried along paths in the snow. They clustered around the blaze, holding out their rough dirty hands seeking warmth. He had almost thought to join them. Shivering, he wondered if the fire was still burning.

Finding no one near, Haku returned to his actual appearance. The sleeve of the stripped shirt had been ripped by the web and it ushered in cold every time he moved. The tan pants were still far too big and brown leather shoes too small, but he looked normal enough. Over these Haku urged his cloak into the illusion of the coat the other human had been wearing, wishing it were real. Shivering again almost convulsively, he considered perhaps he should forgo food in deference for warmth, especially if he was to survive the night in the shed. He, however, had no idea where he could buy such a coat.

Pulling the compass from the front of his jacket, he scowled at the needle.

It spun lazily and it appeared the device was not interested in helping him.

Haku straightened, looking sharply up as wings buffeted the air. A shadow crossed through the dappled light as a rasping caw laughed overhead. Chochin sputtered and retreated behind him as a crow dropped from the sky, hopping to halt in the snow. Haku's hand went to Hanoane's hilt as at once the crow became a man. Instantly he let the sword go, because the kami was more boy than man.

Standing barefoot in the snow, the crow's long tattered black coat dragged behind him full of holes, too big and too long and hanging from his rail-thin shoulder. Feathers, bleached bits of bone, flashing blue glass, and small pieces of reflective metal stitched on a fringe of string from the lapels of the jacket. A spindly black scarf full of runs hung to his knobby exposed knees for he wore no more than a faded black shirt and shorts beneath his coat. Like a bird wing, the glossy blue-black of the kami's hair was cropped close on the sides of his skull, standing up in a spiky comb at his crown. And he sported a startlingly yellow-blue black eye as if proud of it.

"Hah!" He laughed throatily, lighting a cigarette while grinning at him sideways, "Saw y'dancin'. That was some pretty cool stuff."

The crow's black eyes raked over him glittering with barely restrained curiosity as he took a long drag, expelling a blue cloud of aromatic smelling smoke. Keeping his distance, Haku turned down the kami's offer as he held out the pack of cigarettes.

"So where'd you learn magic? Don't see many humans like you anymore."

Haku noticed that the bird's breath did not cast a white plume into the air even through his did. Abruptly the crow forgot his question as his attention diverted to Chouchin. Shyly the now pink lantern peeked over Haku's shoulder. Again she sputtered and hid as the easily distracted crow craned and bobbed his head, pacing back and forth and struggling to see her.

"Hah!" Again his laugh came like a crow call, "That your lantern?"

"I did not expect to find kami in the above," Haku began cautiously, standing taller and letting Chouchin hide, "Did all not flee to Shitamachi?"

"Shitamachi's a shithole," The crow took the cigarette from his mouth to spit, busying himself with kicking ruts in the snow, "Lots prefer t'take our chances up top."

"Oh?" Haku's curiosity peeked, "Are there many here?"

"Used to be more of us," The crow squatted, picking intently at the exposed ground before loosing interest. Peering up at him he pulled another long lungful of cloying blue smoke. It smelled heavily of poppies, "Lots've moved on 'cause of the spiders."

"Spiders?!"

Haku's insides went cold.

He never wanted to see another spider in his life.

"Yeah. Figured I should warn you since you're new."

"Warn me of what?"

"Y'gotta hole up at night. S'when they come out."

"Is that what happened?" Haku nodded at the bruise on the kami's face.

"This?" The crow jabbed a finger at the black eye and laughed, " _Hah!_ Hell's no! I'd be _dead_ if a spider got me! I got this cuz I got fresh with Kubi-chan."

Haku went bolt still at the name. He barely managed to keep his voice even.

"Kubi?"

"She's _way_ hot, brother! Hotter 'an any o' the girls they got down in Undertown. Hang out here long enough an' you're sure to run into her," The crow chortled with a goofy adolescent grin as he jabbed a thumb at his eyes, "Careful though, her kisses are expensive if you get my drift."

At once young God was on his feet, flicking the smoldering butt away. As if from thin air the crow produced a battered bowler hat from his coat. Feathers stood straight up from the band around its circumference. This the young God tamped down on his skull, making the spiky comb of his hair stick out from under the brim at odd angles. But before he could leave Haku stymied him with another question.

"I gather that these spiders have not been here long?"

The crow blinked; as he did the clownish mask he wore slipped.

"No. They came with whatever's moved into the old cavern."

Haku blinked. The old cavern? Hastily the crow looked away as if reluctant to talk further. Haku did not press him for fear of loosing him company. But the bird was not done yet. With a surly moue he threw his hand east, scowling at the direction as if it were somehow at fault.

"Dog soldiers've been coming from Shitamachi every so often t'chase 'em around. They're dumbshits caught up in their dumbshit rules. They don't do a bit o' good."

"What do the spiders want?" Haku pressed with a frown.

"Hah!" The crow laughed bitterly this time as his dark eyes flashed forebodingly, "What we all want: something t'eat."

Again the bird's head turned aside as he was distracted by something. And his wide back eyes sharpened on something with intent curiosity.

"Wait!" He appealed to the crow, "I seek a warm coat. Do you know of a place?"

"Depends," The young God grinned over his shoulder, "Got any food?"

xXx

Chouchin bobbed beneath the rafters, flickering sleepily.

Haku was glad for her soft peach light.

It would have been terribly lonely without her.

Utterly exhausted, he was still half frozen in spite of his new heavy coat. The crow had done more than show him where clothing might be purchase; the young God had given him a tour of Ueno Park and its surroundings; for a fee, of course. The price of the food the crow required was well worth the knowledge the bird imparted. Otherwise Haku would never have learned of the Thrift Shop close by. With meager funds he was able to purchase the navy blue coat, a faded stocking cap which he could not decide was blue or black, a gray stretchy long sleeved garment, a pair of thick wool pants that barely fit with the rope belt he'd fashioned, thick soled boots, and long wool socks that kept the cold from biting his ankles.

All were drab and worn but clean. Regardless of their condition, they were of the type he saw worn by the other humans on the streets. Most importantly, however, they were cheap. And he wore every last stitch of the clothing against the severe cold. Because the bare sky outside held in none of the warmth the sun have poured down during the day. Oh, it was so _cold!_

But as Haku huddled beneath the cushions in the shed feeling his breath freeze on his lips, he found himself not thinking about Chihiro or Cinnamon. He was thinking about money. Like food and cold, it was not something he had given much thought until now. And that he had none left in his pockets sent worry gnawing at the hollow of his chest. It seemed in order to survive in the mortal world he would need a great deal of money. Thankfully he had scouted several locations where he could dance if the weather permitted. Most of the snow had melted in the afternoon sun. Unfortunately it froze shortly after the shockingly early dusk, turning every flat surface to glittering ice. All around them humans slipped and skidded, but neither he nor the crow was affected by the icy path as they made their way back to the demon lantern.

Behind closed eyes, Haku remembered the afternoon somewhat fondly. Strangely, it had been fun. The crow was good natured and quick to laugh for everything seemed a joke to him. Without letting the kami know it, Haku learned a great deal from the young God. Watching how the bird blended into the human world had been a lesson indeed. And in his company the throngs of humans, hissing vehicles, flashing lights, and humming wires seemed not so foreign. The bird had introduced him to vending machines. What a wonder these glowing white boxes were! For mere coins hot food and drink could be purchased at any time! They had eaten many bowls of ramen produced as if by magic from one of these contraptions, slurping the steaming soup while crouched in a crowded alley watching the humans pass without a backward glance.

Haku had been sorry when swiftly approaching dusk forced them back to the park. Chouchin appeared as they crossed the wide striped street onto the inclined path leading into the heart of the commons, hovered over their heads and lighting their way with her bright white face. More fires flickered in the pockets of trees, burning in barrels and casting long shadows across the haggard faces of the humans gathered in pockets. As if they knew something he did not, fear was as obvious on their faces. Suddenly the crow seemed worried for him as he frowned at the darkening sky.

"So… Y'gotta a place, right?"

The young God looked more than relieved upon learning he did.

"Good. Stay there," the crow fixed him with a sober frown out of character with his comedic nature, "Y'might not be a God, but you stink like magic. Spiders aren't as picky in the winter. They'll take a human same as a kami if they're hungry enough."

Shuffling anxiously, the bird hopped from bare foot to bare foot as if finally feeling the cold. Abruptly he turned away with his hands in his pockets, striding away.

"I'm Karasu, by the by," he threw over his shoulder, "Sleep tight, brother!"

At once the kami was a bird. He cawed raucously as he flew away. Again Haku was stunned by how the bird's named him. Though he thought him human, the crow called him brother. Haku found himself hoping to see the bird again.

Haku was almost asleep when he heard the first bark. He jolted upright at the familiar distant sound, scattering the tiny kami that had been huddled around him seeking his warmth. Chouchin startled, knocking against the rafters as she flared, spitting magnesium white sparklers, filling the shack with bright. Ignoring the lantern, holding his breath, Haku listened to the thunderous beating of his own heart as silence fell once more. His chest constricted with panic and he was on his feet, crouched with his hand inside his coat on Hanoane as footsteps pounded up the road.

"Chouchin!" He hissed and abruptly she extinguished.

Listening at the door, holding his breath again, he blinked as the wooden fence outside shuddered and creaked. A wind hit his door as something clambered over it, making the shed jostled as whatever it was cleared the top only to run afoul on the other side. There was a heavy crash and as a woman cried out in pain.

"S-shit!" She choked, obviously in pain. But here her voice turned sharp with authority, "Run, Bozu, before they find you!"

Haku shook with shock; because he knew that voice. So did Chouchin. The lantern sparked and crackled, breaking the darkness with eerie licks of her blue flamed eyes, showering him with embers. Cursing at slapping at his neck as the biting fire nipped at his exposed skin, Haku fell perfectly still as a long baying howl sounded far, far too close for comfort. It was almost outside his door.

" _I said run!"_ Kubi shouted over the sound.

Against his better judgment he peered through a crack in the doorframe, jerking back as a panting pair of Dog Soldiers came sprinting up the narrow road on all fours. Again the shed rocked as the kami cleared the fence in a single leap. And perhaps it was be Chouchin was about to set him and the whole shack on fire in her alarm. Perhaps it was because he was furious over the violent invasion of O-Inari-sama's shrine. Whatever his reasons, Haku jerked on his mask and flew out the door. It was the height of the kami hour and so he easily coiled wind beneath his feet, sending himself hurtling high.

 _Too_ high!

From the height he was offered an unobstructed view of the dark courtyard in front of the main shrine. Kubi was a flash of green in the night. Viciously she kicked the one of the guard in the nether regions. With a yelp of the dog went down as the one eyed goblin squealed like a trapped rabbit. Fear broke the woman's face at the sound for the second soldier caught up the yokai as he tried to flee. Throwing herself at the dog, she seized the kami's helmet andtwisted it round. The solider howled in frustration then fell to his knees with a strangled yelp as Kubi kicked him fiercely between the v of his legs. The dog dropped Bozu. Terror stricken, the tiny yokai hesitated, torn between fleeing and turning back to help.

" _Go!"_ Kubi shrieked desperately.

More than reluctantly the tiny creature disappeared into the underbrush. Then the dog seized her arms, yanking her around and throwing her at the ground. She landed hard, at once falling still. Sharp barks echoed from the opposite side of the courtyard as two more dogs joined their brethren. Though only seconds passed they were on her. It took two dogs to pin Kubi to the ground as she tried to rise. Again she shrieked as the third wrenched her head from her shoulders, pulling her neck long and taut. Haku was stunned at the sight, for though he had seen it before, he had not realized its impossibility. Kubi's ties had been cut yet she retained her ability to change!

But then a fourth soldier reared with sword in hand.

He recognized the half-fox immediately by her sandy red fur.

Haku cushioned his landings by loosing a screaming gale beneath his feet. The wall of wind flooded the courtyard, hit the soldiers, slamming them backwards and throwing them from their feet. Stone and wood splintered under the impact of their meaty bodies and the kami were momentarily stunned. Calling on his armor, he exploited the fear they betrayed at his sudden arrival, storming forward as if still the God he had been.

"Shame, kitsune!" Haku thundered behind his mask, stepping over Kubi and making the half-fox scramble away in panic as she forgot her sword, "You would take life on O-Inari-sama's hallowed ground?!"

Even as she cowered, the soldier's terrified face slowly cleared with recognition.

"I k-know you…!" She hushed, "You're the one who killed Jouma!"

"I was defending my own." He bit back, almost choking on the half lie.

That was truth, but he had not needed to take the spider's life. All the same, he had taken Jouma's life and had done so purely out of spite. Oh, he never wanted to hear that name again! How he never wanted to be reminded of his terrible crime! As if it had the power to crack his ribs and breaks its way free, guilt tightened his chest to the point of pain. And he was forced to remember the feel of cold wet blood on his hands. He would never forget that feeling. Never.

"Peace, kami-sama," strangely the half-fox bowed to him, "The Dish God told us of what happened. We have no quarrel with you, now please, step aside."

Haku blinked; the half-fox still though him a God!

He shied from the honorific, confused by the soft reverence in her voice. The Wheel of Yamanote flashed on her breastplate as she whirled; plucking up her sword and producing a throwing dagger in such a swift smooth motion Haku barely followed. As she did a single blue fox-fire sputtered to life over her head, lighting the courtyard. Slowly he fell back in front of Kubi as the dog soldiers shook themselves towering above him as they stood on two feet with cruel curved swords in each hand.

"For what reason do you intend to kill this woman?" Haku demanded.

Somehow he managed to keep a level voice, buying time to think. These were trained soldiers, not stupid oni or greedy tanuki. Furthermore, they were kami and in spite of what the half-fox might think, he certainly was not. He might best one or two if luck was with him, but not three.

At once the fox was scandalized, "That is an _abomination_! It must be purged! It is _things_ like her that bring filth and evil among us in the below!"

Haku's insides crawled at the sight of the hate in the half-fox's yellow eyes. Though she spoke it Haku could not believe it to be truth.

"Can I kill him, Aki-sama?" One of the dogs growled beneath his breath as his reflective eyes burned holes in Haku's flank, "Please can I kill him?"

"No," the half-fox quelled her subordinate with a harsh snarl, "He is marked by a higher power and must not be harmed."

He blinked rapidly, suddenly understanding the look the half-fox had turned on him when letting he and Cinna pass under Shitamachi's Second Gate. Suddenly he understood the reason for his uncanny luck. O-Inari-sama was with him. Again hope burned inside him like a brand until it felt as if he might burst into flames. Hope alone, however, would not keep him from the dogs' teeth.

"And what if I was also an abomination?" Haku returned calmly in spite of what he was about to do, "Would you kill me?"

"Do not speak of such things, great lord!" She hushed again as if scandalized, "O-Inari-sama would never protect such a foul thing as _that!_ "

Utterly shocked Haku watched in consternation as the half-fox spat on Kubi. The former God flinched, quietly enduring as her face drew into grim lines. She gathered her head back onto her shoulders, sitting up with wooden movements. At the sight of such prejudice Haku galvanized; because there was no place in either of the worlds for such hate. If anything needed to be cleansed it was the intolerance afflicting the half-fox's soul. He doubted, however, that he could convince her of this. All the same, he had to try. Otherwise he would be forced to spill blood again on this day.

"You are wrong, kitsune," Haku returned grimly, "So very, very wrong."

Sweat beaded on his upper lip and his blood pumped through his veins, quickened with fear as he took off his mask, stowing it the front of his shirt, letting illusion fade until he stood as he was.

Both and neither.

At the sight Aki threw herself back.

Her foxfire extinguished with a sputtering hiss as her wide yellow eyes turned reflective in the sudden gloom, "It… It isn't possible…!"

"God, human, or somewhere in between: what does it matter," Haku held out his hands, showing they were dirty and chapped with cold, "Of all kami you should know what it is like to be both but neither."

She cringed from his final words and something flickered in her gold eyes. Haku could not quite see what it was for her face twisted with such conflict. At once the soldier sheathed her dagger and sword as all the color drained from her suddenly blank face. The dogs beside her whined uncertainly, glancing between him and their superior and following as she slowly backtracked into the dark.

"Aki-san?" One whimpered.

"W-what should we do, Aki-san?" The second appealed for orders.

"Shut up, dogs!" She growled beneath her breath, "We're leaving."

Aki opening her mouth to bark another order just as four red eyes opened above her head. Haku recoiled in horror from the familiar hiss that turned his blood to ice.

" _Spiders!"_ One of the dog yelped in consternation.

He knocked his superior aside with his bulk, already striking with his sword. Sharp silk divided around the blade, saving his life as it shattered the stone to either side of his feet. Again the angry blue light sputtered to life over Aki's head, revealing a glinting score of red eyes, reflecting off the beetle black bodies trundling in the dark. These creatures were not the creamy limbed tsuchigumo he had encountered in Shitamatchi; these were yokai straight out of the depths of Jigoku (4).

" _Retreat!"_ Aki howled. She ripped something from her pocket and hurled it at the ground, dissolving into a plume of smoke as her subordinates followed in her wake.

Haku's knees nearly folded as the tide of crimson eyes wheeled to him. He threw himself at Kubi as a lance of silk whistled over his head. Stuffing one hand into his coat his other caught the woman around her waist. More silk splintered against the stones where they had been. But they peeled of the ground by a prevailing wind a second before it struck, snatched up into the clear dark sky as the umbrella sprang open in his hand.

With dizzying speed Ueno fell away beneath their feet.

Growing small and insignificant, the black sky swallowed them as they cork-screwed up, shoved higher by the mistrals at their feet. And Haku forgot to be afraid of the consuming height beneath his toes as the world below transformed. A shimmering landscape stretched out beneath them dotted with gold, emerald, and ruby lights unlike anything he had ever seen. Tributaries of glittering diamond coursed between the glowing towers of jet, obsidian, and pearl. Lapis fire and argent arches domed across dark blots of nothing he quickly realized were rivers. Distantly the wide mouth of a massive harbor yawned off into night.

But he had little time to enjoy the view. Kubi locked her arms around his neck, choking him as silently she panicked. Haku's world narrowed to keeping a hand on the haft of the umbrella and another around the woman's waist as they spun like a top beneath the ceiling of the world.

"Calm! _Calm!_ " He gasped, struggling to master their erratic flight amidst the gusts of wind given reign at their height.

" _D-don't drop me!"_

"I will not drop you, Kubi! But I cannot breathe!"

Her grip slackened just enough to allow him to draw in a deep swallowing breath. This he held and at once the wind around them ceased. Slowly, ever so slowly they ceased to turn until they were merely floating. Careful not to startle his passenger, Haku blew the air in his lungs through pursed lips, propelling them in a somewhat straight line as slowly they began to sink.

"We're sinking!" Kubi's voice shot up an octave. As she looked down her arms crushed his neck, _"We're sinking!"_

"I suggest you not look down." He instructed as calmly as he could; anchoring his arm around her narrow waist, "I promise I will not drop you."

She buried her face in the crook of his neck, whispering against his skin.

"You could be lying."

He blinked as his insides emptied, making the umbrella lift them upwards for a moment. It was true. He could lie if he wanted to. Falsehood was something afforded him now, just as it was afforded to her. For some reason that made him hold her closer. And he considered for a moment that was the real reason he had shot from the shack like an arrow. She was the first he had ever met who was like him.

"I will not drop you." He repeated gently.

Scanning the ground now, he realized in dismay that they had been blown off course quite a ways. The network of piercing light beneath his feet was utterly unfamiliar. Again sweat gathered on his lip, making his palms inauspiciously slick against the haft of the umbrella. Sweat seemed such a ridiculous response to fear, but at least he had not passed out. And given his passenger's prior reactions he did not want to admit that he was lost just yet. Let them sink a little more. Perhaps something familiar could still be found in the dazzling topography below.

"Why did you save me?"

Haku started as again Kubi's hot breath blew against his neck. It sent an involuntary shiver coursing over his skin. That it was not unpleasant proved to be a terrible distraction.

"I have seen enough death," he returned, too put upon to think of a better answer.

"But I could've killed you."

Again she hushed against his skin. But this time his blood turned to ice as he remembered how she had nearly sucked the life from him. Haku licked his suddenly dry lips, struggling not to shudder.

"You did not." He managed to keep his voice level.

She was quiet for a long moment. Then her silver eyes flashed at his face before very timidly glancing down at the fiery display of lights that was the ground. Abruptly, however, she returned her head to his shoulder, at once shaking.

" _H-how can you stand it!?"_

In truth he was a bit shocked at his own calm, but perhaps he was only trying to be brave for her sake?

"The sky was once mine. I have spent much time at these heights."

"W-what were you?" She continued faintly.

Again he was unable to think of an answer better than the truth. And Haku lifted his eyes to the black emptiness that arced away until somewhere far away. Even then it would never end; dawn turned to dusk then back to dawn. He remembered what it felt like to chase that horizon and recalled none of the elation, only the desperate all-consuming loneliness born from chasing forever.

"Air and water," he returned reluctantly, "But no more."

"Huh…So that's why you taste like rain…" Kubi relaxed somewhat, suddenly demanded between chattering teeth. "W-where's my lantern!?"

"Chochin?" Haku snorted, "She follows me everywhere."

"She must like you," Kubi muttered sullenly, "Traitor."

Silence fell between them until questions surface inside Haku's head until he could hold his peace no longer. Finally it poured out of him in a hush so quiet it was barely audible over the gently whistling wind.

"How do you know Aki?"

Kubi went tense beneath his arm as if she had turned to stone.

"How do _you_ know Aki?" She shot back beneath her breath.

To answer a question with a question was habit among kami, but Haku did not feel like playing games and he was too tired to lie.

"A spider killed a friend and would have killed another so I was forced to kill it first," Numbly he recounted what happened, "The Shitamachi guard was called on us before the truth of the matter was discovered. We were forced to flee into the tunnels. You found us shortly."

"So that's what happened to the cat," she whispered back, pausing awkwardly, "Uh… H-how is she faring?"

"I do not know," Haku's faced tightened as fear poked a hole in his heart, letting the worry within go spilling through him. At once they began to sink faster, "I was forced to send them home."

Kubi's eyelashes tickled his neck as she blinked, "Why didn't you go with them?"

"Because I am searching for someone," Haku closed his eyes, "I will not return until I find her."

Kubi turned her head away, obviously done with talking. Glad for the quiet, Haku returned his eyes to the not so distant ground, recognized the strange gold cloud floating above the tall glass building. Beside it was a stinking black ribbon of a river and in the distance after a long lit avenue lifted the sloping green tiled roof of a great temple.

"No…!" He uttered sharply, "No, we cannot land here!"

"W-what!?" Kubi stammered.

Throwing her eyes at the ground and finding the wind and thunder gate right beneath their feet. At once she was rigid with recognition. By some wicked twist of fate he had taken them from one foe and delivered them right into the lap of another. At once she was struggling, kicking at him and pulling on his coat like he was some kind of horse, not helping him at all.

"Go back up!" She ordered, "Up, not down! _Up, you idiot!"_

 _"It is not that easy!"_ Haku shot back, struggling to calm himself, because the dread in his heart was weighing down on him like a stone, "I am too heavy with fear!"

"Y-you're afraid?" She sounded surprised.

"Of course I am afraid! Asakusa is directly below us! I need to be calm!" He coached himself only to fail, struggling with the sickness in his stomach. But his heart thundered up in his ears, making him lightheaded, "I need to feel something, anything other than fear! It drags us down!"

"Anything?" Kubi demanded as her silver eyes flashed in the approaching lights.

" _Yes! Yes, anything!"_

Haku half expected her to hit him as she had Karasu. The shock would have been enough to clear his head. She did shock him, but not with any strike, kick, or bite. Kubi kissed him. Turning away from the ground she kissed him full on the lips. And he was so surprised they shot into the sky like an arrow.

* * *

 **Notes:**

(1) Yamato is the ancient name for Japan. It is also the name of the dominant native ethnic group of Japan. The name comes from the Yamato Court that existed in Japan in the 4th century. It was originally the name of the region where the Yamato people first settled in Nara Prefecture, the capital of Japan before Kyoto, i.e. Heian-kyo.

(2) $50

(3) A much shorted version of a katana. It has the traditional curve like the katana, but is anywhere from 30 to 60 centimeters in length. It is usually one in a pair of swords worn by Samurai in the feudal period.

(4) Jigoku is the many layered Buddhist hell.


	20. Chapter 20

**HAKU**

Kubi screamed as they crashed down on a roof top.

Gravity hurled them against the ground, dragging him along in its wake. But he fell happily; glad to no longer be in the sky in spite of the sharp kicks of pain the ground delivered him, glad that Asakusa was not beneath his feet. He wrapped himself around Kubi, rolling like a ball as momentum carried them forward. Luckily they came to rest in a deep drift of snow as the umbrella spun in an upturned circle not far off.

Thrown across him Kubi blinked down at him as she sat up dizzily. He did not know how she had the strength to right herself for the world was still spinning beneath his back. He half clung to her as if afraid he was still falling. As if the fringe above his eyes had not vexed him enough, her long hair had come loose in the fall. The inky length spilled over her shoulders, tickling his face and making him want to sneeze.

Then Kubi laughed, low at first, but then the sound flowed from her freely as she bent beneath the power of her uncanny glee. He blinked, half afraid of her strange mood. But as she looked her frozen face transformed, revealing she was quite beautiful when she was not looking on the world as if everything was something to eat.

"A-are you alright?" Haku stammered faintly.

Her quicksilver eyes sharpened on him, reflecting every color in the humming electric lights flooding the rooftop. She chuckled this time as if enjoying a private joke. Lightly her hand moved across his brow sweeping away the melting snow from his face. As it stilled barely touching his cheek she went perfectly still, staring down at him with such an odd expression his insides clench.

He jolted as she seizing his face. With such strength she slammed him back into the snow, swallowing his cry of surprise; she locked her mouth over his. But even as he scrambled he realized this was not as before. This was a purely mortal kiss.

And such a response it inspired in him.

Something burned through him like fire and he knew not what it was. A maddening ache tightened between his legs so severely the wanting robbed him of all thought. The ache he knew, but never like this! This was not love! He knew what love felt like and this was not the same and yet it was. He did not love Kubi! He did not feel for her what he felt for Chihiro! Why then did his body respond as it had for Chihiro?! Even though Kubi tasted bitter like wood smoke; even through her tiny perfect teeth were black, black, black; desire ignited in his blood like gunpowder.

And his traitorous body reacted as if it no longer belonged to him.

Lips that were not his lips opened to Kubi, allowing her inside as hands that were not his hands tightened on her obi. Firmly he pulled her to him, grinding himself against the weight of her body. She chuckled again throatily, pulling back even as he struggled after her. Taking his hands she pulled at the front of her kimono, loosening the fabric and giving them entrance. Eagerly they surged inside, cupping, squeezing; feeling the softness of her skin and the full heaviness of her breasts.

They were much larger than Chihiro's.

That he enjoyed that sent his insides reeling with shame.

But before he could protest Kubi fell forward, running her hands up under his shirt so she could claw her nails down his bare chest. Lines of fiery pain danced in their wake as her hair smothered him in the sweet reek of wisteria. But it was not Chihiro's smell; not the clean scent of soap nor the shy touch of her gentle hands. Kubi was rough. She hurt him even as she sent him to the brink of pleasure. Tossing his head and repelled by the unfamiliar scent, somehow he found and grasped her forearms.

"Kubi!" He gasped, "Kubi, stop!"

"No…" She breathed words that could have burned wood against his neck.

Mouthing the skin, she ran her cheek against his jaw before biting his earlobe fiercely. Haku gasped, jerking away as his body confused the stab of pain with pleasure; once again addling him as Kubi continued to murmur.

"I've wanted you since I first tasted you… Rain… I want it to rain!"

Lacing her fingers through his, she sat back rocked over him suggestively. Haku cried out, throwing himself up against her as again she swayed her hips. At once he was drowning as if she as the ocean, at once lost in the strength of her hunger. But this was wrong even though it felt so very right and he tore in two between the contrary sensations.

"Please! _Please!_ " Haku begged, "I am _betraying_ her!"

At once Kubi went perfectly still, gripping his fingers so tightly the bones creaked.

"What?"

Her voice had returned to ice.

" _Chihiro!"_ Haku choked on her name, _"I love her and I am betraying her!"_

At once she threw down his hands and was gone. Rolling on his side, clutching the front of his coat closed, Haku quaked with shock. His teeth chattered for all the warmth seemed to have drained from him, and his mind continued to reel because he still did not understand what had just happened to him.

Was this magic?

Was this some lingering piece of what Kubi had once been as a kami?

Or was this somehow his fault?

The needing ache was still upon him, sharpening to true pain as he threw fearful eyes round the empty rooftop, half afraid Kubi might return. Afraid of himself as well, he snatched up the umbrella and staggered on weak knees only to fall at the edge of the roof. Hauling himself up on the edge, he peered over. His gaze fell twelve stories before hitting the distant asphalt. Through the quick white plume of his breath he knew there was no way he could summon such lightness of heart to float the distance. He would fall like a stone.

But his insides emptied as he gazed over the tops of the squat buildings. Not too distantly the flat black mirror of a familiar pond rejected the city's reflection. Beyond it, equally dark as if in solidarity with the water rose the swelling tree choked hill of the familiar park. They stood like shadows in a sea of frigid light.

Blindly he had brought them from Asakusa back to Ueno Park.

* * *

 **CHIHIRO**

Chihiro slammed the front door.

She thew her purse and keys blindly, kicking off her high heels.

Black patent leather pumps with red bottoms. They were stupid crazy expensive and they were _killing_ her knees. Michio had talked her into buying them along with the slinky black dress she'd bought especially for this date. And she hated everything she was wearing, hated the thick make-up on her face and the bouncy curls she'd spent hours ironing into her hair!

As she struggled out of her coat, throwing that on the ground and barely resisting the urge to stomp on it, Michi peered over the yellow tetris block beanbag. Her black shadowed eyes were completely wide beneath her razor straight bangs. Michio's hair was purple now, pulled up into poofy teased and crimped tufts at either side of her head.

"O-kaeri…" (1) The Goth murmured in a tiny timid voice.

" _Ahh!"_ She half screamed back, making Michi hide.

Chihiro stabbed her fingers at her perfectly smooth shins.

"I ripped all the hair off my legs, Michio! Do you know how much that frickin' _hurt_!? And for what!? _What!?"_

Wincing in sympathy, she pillowed her chin on the cushion.

"That good, huh?"

Chihiro threw up her hands, "Where the _hell_ did you find this guy!?"

"He said he was a banker," she dropped her gaze, "He was always nice in chat."

"Yeah, well, he turned out to be a freak, Michio! A grade-A, weirdo, _freak!_ I had to leave halfway through dinner and told him never to call me again!" She stomped her foot, "No more internet dates!"

"Don't let one bad guy turn you off, Chihiro!" Michio appealed as she stormed by. She was calling after her now, "You're never gonna meet anyone holed away up there writing whatever the _hell_ you're writing! The internet's a great place to meet cute boys!"

Michio didn't bother hiding the fact she was pissed Chihiro wouldn't let her read the story. It was a sticking point. And it was terrible but true, but she didn't trust Michio with it, not after she'd let it spill to Kataama that Chihiro was writing again.

"What makes you think I want to meet someone!?"

She threw words back at her friend furiously, trying to hide the fact that she was more than envious of all the phone calls, long nights, and early morning her friend spent away from the house.

"Not everyone needs a new boyfriend for every day of the week!"

Michi shook herself as her pale face went blank with shock.

"A-are you calling me a _slut_!?"

Chihiro backpedaled, only realizing now they were full on fighting.

"I-I never said that!"

"But you wanted to. You might as well have!"

Michio was on her feet, picking up the red tetris block and throwing it as hard as she could. Chihiro flinched as it bounced off the banister, rebounding into the living room as it crashed across the coffee table.

"So what if I'm a slut!? You're just jealous you can't have fun like me! _Mommy_ raise you to be to be too much of a good girl!"

"Leave my mom out of this!" Chihiro shouted back, "I'm happy the way I am!"

"Oh, yeah, you're _real_ happy!" Michio laughed with biting sarcastically, throwing the blue block now.

"So don't get pissed at me 'cause it didn't work out the first time around like some fuckin' fairy tale! Admit it! You had fun, didn't you?! You had fun shopping in the bad-girl shops and getting dressed up all _slutty_ in your heels and your short-short skirt! You probably even had fun on your _freaky_ date!"

Wrathfully Michio tossed the orange block, then the green one and then the purple one, at once panting as she ran out of cushions to throw. Instead she stabbed a black varnished finger at the ceiling.

"At least you _tried_ , Chihiro! At least you went out instead of wallowing in self pity crying over some dead guy you can't even remember! People die all the time! So what if you can't remember shit! You're not the first person on this planet to loose something! My dad died and mom didn't keel over and stop breathing, _so fucking_ _get over it and live, goddamnit!"_

Turning Chihiro fled up the stairs on hands and knees to her room.

She slammed her door.

Seconds later the back door slammed.

And she blinked rapidly, creeping to the window and watched from afar as Michio struggled to yank open the garage door, finally kicking it open with one of her chunky platform boots. The black Lexus gunned to life inside, flooding the interior with its headlights before roaring out of the garage and knocking over their trashcans as it went, red tail lights streaked away on squealing tires.

Such a sinking sensation pulled at her insides as her best friend went.

And Chihiro turned and stormed into the master bath, already viciously pulling the pins out of her hair. She slammed the door behind her, slamming the cabinets for no reason at all and turning the spigot in the swimming pool of a tub on full tilt. Letting it run, she viciously scrubbed her face in the sink, splashing water all over the floor and her dress and not giving a damn if it got ruined.

Opening her eyes, she stared into the mirror and watched her mascara run in long black lines down her face. And she was right back at the beginning, back at her bathroom in Nagoya staring at her reflection. But she wasn't a stranger anymore. She wasn't a ghost or a lost little girl. She knew the woman in the mirror even as slowly the glass fogged over with steam. And an odd calm enveloped the boiling rage in her stomach as she watched her jaw harden in the glass.

Because Michio was right.

Even though it hurt to the point where she thought the opposite.

She was going to live.

* * *

 **HAKU**

Something bumped into his head as he floundered free of sleep.

It was Chochin. She bumped him again and again.

To tired to fight her off, Haku hid from her light under a threadbare pillow. His body hurt, especially his joints. These felt strangely swollen and every tiny moment sent his limbs aching with a strange fibrous pain. Though he was absolutely freezing his was sweating profusely. Moisture beaded on his brow as such waves of dizziness kept him firmly anchored against the rotting mat. Oh, how he hurt! He hurt so badly he thought he might be dying!

Haku stirred as voices approached.

He barely heard them.

"I can't believe someone trashed the shrine last night!? That's, like, _so_ bad luck! They're so gonna get hit by a bus or something!"

Lying there, he heard the humans clearly as their footsteps came down the stone steps outside the shack. He listened; almost sure he was imagining them. Whoever the speaker was, she was young. Her shrill voice made Haku's head throb.

"Lots of people don't believe in Gods anymore, Fuu." Another explained dismissively, "Religion's a crock of shit if you ask me."

"Shut up, Kana!" Fuu shot back hotly as if scandalized, "I _totally_ believe! My mom said she saw lights in the forests back in Nara all the time when she was little!"

"When's the last time you've seen anything but a fat priest at any shrine?"

"That's 'cause this is the _city_ , dummy! Kami don't like electricity!"

"Bet you believe in Santa Claus too, huh?"

"Will you both just shut up," a third female cut in as is exasperated, "Put the chairs down for a second, okay? I need to get the lock."

Keys jingled only to fall silent. Then Kana cut in uncertainly.

"Neh, Megumi? Is it s'posed t'be broken like that?"

Sitting up, Haku cringed from the light as the door opened on shrill hinges.

Then the humans screamed.

Broken backed chairs clattered and tumbled on the cobbles outside the door as Haku jolted upright and hit his head on Chouchin. She was much more solid than her ethereal transparency suggested. Haku saw stars, lapsing back and holding his head as it swam. Chouchin fled in sparking panic, disappearing in a fizzling pop as again the humans screamed.

" _It's a ghost! I told you! I so told you, Kana!"_

" _Jae!"_ The one called Megumi called just as shrilly, _"Jae, get out here now!"_

"Hah!?" A familiar voice answered as a slider opened and shut with a bang. Haku recognized the voice of the mad foreigner whom had accosted him in the park.

"There's a ghost, Jay-Jay!"

" _It's not a ghost!"_

Silence fell, into which Fuu sniffed tearfully.

"You don't have to yell at me, Kana…"

"I was just saying we don't know what the hell that _thing_ was! It could've been an animal or… or _something_!"

Other males joined them. Their voices were unfamiliar.

"What thing?"

"Dude, you're totally freaked."

"Shut up, Kenka!" The haughty female snarled.

"What's got her freaked out?" The younger male repeated.

At once Haku was reminded of Little Green Frog.

"A ghost!"

"Shut up, Fuu!"

"I don't wanna go down there if there's a ghost!" One of the males stammered.

"I'm telling you there's no goddamn ghost, Shouta!"

"I don't care who goes, but someone better get down there and find out what the _hell_ it was before Jean Paul gets here!" Megumi thundered. "He'll call Origa and then we're all screwed!"

"I don't mind push-ups," Jae needled.

" _JUST GO!"_

At once a score of footfalls slapped again the stone steps. As Haku realized they were headed in his direction he struggled off the tatami. But stabbing brightness flooding thru the doorway blotted as three bodies crowded around the doorway.

"What _t'fuck_ are you doing in here!?" Jae demanded angrily.

"Apologies!" Haku threw up his hands, pressing back against the mats.

As Jae came at him threateningly the other males caught him by the arm.

" _Whoa_! Chill out, Jae! It's just some guy."

"Yeah!? The last guy got caught in here tried t'burn the whole _fuckin'_ building down! Why _t'hell_ d'you think Sensei put a lock on t'shed!?"

From around his companions the youngest male peered just as the littlest tanuki. For a moment Haku thought the human was a tanuki. Hallucinating now, his breath came short and shallow the world began to list and spin.

"Apologies!" Haku repeated unsteadily, "I… I had no where else to go!"

"Dude… He, uh, doesn't look too good."

"Do I look like I give ah _fuck_?!" Jae rounded on Haku again, "Look, man, I ever catch you in here again an' I'll beat the _shit_ outta you! Got that?"

"Yes…!" He choked, "I… I understand!"

Haku pushed away from the mats, lurching for the door.

Then bells rang as he ran into a wall.

Eerily things spilled out of his pockets, running up the wall like water as his hands slapped against the cold stones. It took him a moment to realize the wall was the ground for he had no recollection of falling. But he had no hope of moving now. His head swam as light and dark blurred, pulsing in front of his eyes as he was nearly sick. Laying there on the icy floor he barely heard the humans arguing above him.

" _S-shit!"_ Jae stammered, at once a different person, "I think I know this guy!"

Somewhere far away bells rang again.

"Dude, you just told him to fuck off! Now you wanna help him!?"

"Shut up and get his other arm! Shouta, go call Sensei!"

"Me!?" The youngest male whined, "Why me!?"

"'Cause you can't lift _shit_! Why'd you think I made the girls carry the chairs!?"

"You're such a dick, Jae!" Kenka grumbled.

"What is it!?" One of the girls shouted distantly.

"Some homeless guy!" The little one answered, "He's sick!"

"Is it serious."

"Dunno! Jae's bringing him up."

" _What!?"_

Arms hoisted him.

One way or another he had no strength to assist or resist.

"Hold on, man," Jae muttered contritely, "I gotcha."

That was the last thing he heard as they dragged him out into the biting light.

It swallowed him whole.

xXx

Soft and smooth, something ran over his face.

It felt so very good. So did the soft futon beneath his back and the thick quilt pulled over his bare skin. Back in the shack Haku was quite sure he was dying, but now he no longer felt ill; a bit weak, but no longer on the verge of a faint. Still, he was afraid; afraid this was merely a dream; afraid he would wake up to cold, hunger, and angry shouting. As if sensing his mounting panic a warm hand replaced the cloth lying across his brow. Afraid it would disappear along with everything else he covered it, keeping it for himself.

Cracking his eyes, they focused hazily, revealing an unfamiliar ceiling.

Through the slats of the window beside him he could see that it was dusk.

"Drink this."

A glass of water hovered at his lips. As if he had not drunk in days Haku seized it, eagerly gulping it down. The same gentle hands helped him sit up so he would not choke; taking the empty glass and urging him back against the pillow.

"T-thank you," he hushed gratefully.

Lifting his eyes, Haku froze, because the soft hands belonged to Kubi. He almost did not recognize her, but there was no mistaking her quicksilver eyes. Kneeling beside the slightly raised bed, she was dressed in a voluminous green sweater with a high neck. She wore extremely tight faded blue pants made of a strange solid material that left nothing of her long lean legs to imagination. Thankfully her cloying hair was pulled back into a tight braid; otherwise Haku would have been afraid it might come after him again.

With a cold startled stab of panic Haku jolted back, staring at her askance.

As he struggled to speak Kubi answered his unuttered question.

"Chouchin brought me."

She tossed her head at the lantern; the kami was bobbing and floating through the exposed rafters as an otter might play in the ripples of a river. Haku jerked further back into the corner of the bed as Kubi lifted a hand towards him.

" _Do not touch me!"_ He hushed tersely.

Her face fell ever so slightly as slowly she took it back. Then her eyes dropped to his bare chest, sharpening on the scars the Forgotten had left upon him. A pinch formed between her perfect black brows. Heat blossomed in Haku's cheeks as he yanked the quilt under his chin, realizing he was naked to the waist. His shirts and sweater lay folded at the foot of his bed. Where his coat had gone he did not know. As she opened her mouth to speak Haku cut her off with an angry slash of his hand. He was half surprised he had not yet ordered her to leave. But he knew she had answers to the questions he was trying to shape.

"Where am I?" Haku demanded beneath his breath.

"In a vacant apartment above _Le Pichet_. The humans who work in the restaurant brought you here."

Haku blinked, "W-where?"

"It was the first Western restaurants in Japan," she mused, "It think it was 1877. It changed owners but they still serve French food."

Again Haku cut her off with a terse wave for he understood nothing she said.

"What did you do to me?"

Sitting back, she crossed her arms, "I broke your fever."

"N-not now," Haku dropped his gaze as the heat in his face intensified, "Last night."

As silence gathered Haku nervously glanced up.

He found her studying him with an intensely searching expression.

"Are you a virgin?"

He gaped as his cheeks went incandescent.

"I have _b-been_ with a woman before! Not that that is _any_ of your concern! _"_

"Good," Her silver eyes glinted mercilessly as a sly smile pulled her lips, revealing her black stained teeth, "Otherwise I'd insist we finish what we started."

Abruptly Haku threw his eyes aside. The shame in his heart could have ignited the blankets clutched under his chin. Swallowing with difficulty, he forced himself to continue in as level as he could summon voice.

"What I want to know, Kubi," he pronounced her name coldly, "Is whether or not you _beguiled_ me by means of magic or any other craft."

She snorted, "You didn't need any persuasion, lover."

Haku fell perfectly still as slowly that truth sank in.

"Then I… I betrayed myself…?"

It took him a moment to realize he had spoken the words aloud. Once again glancing at Kubi he found her studying him with the same unnerving intentness. A deciding look cleared her shrewd face, once again leaving him extremely nervous.

"How old are you?"

"P-pardon?"

"How long since your ties were cut?"

The time that had passed was so jumbled between the kami and mortal realms he had no way to truely count for the days. Again it did not occur to Haku to lie.

"T-two, maybe three weeks?"

Kubi's metallic eyes widened as she sat back on her heels.

"So you are a virgin."

She cut him off before he could demand that she leave.

"What I mean is you're _new_ to your body!" She shifted uncomfortably, looking away as if embarrassed, "You seemed so put together. If I'd known you were new I wouldn't've been so rough. But better you figure out human sexuality sooner than later, especially lust."

"Lust?" Haku blinked, finding himself at a loss over the strange word.

"Lust," she repeated it slowly, "That's what was going on last night."

"I… I do not understand," Haku shrank from the weight of her frosted gaze.

"Love and lust are separate things," Kubi continued in a compelling voice that smelled strongly of wood smoke, "You don't have to love me to _want_ me."

Leaning towards him, she put a hand his leg. A spidery thrill crawled across his skin at the contact.

" _I said do not touch me!"_

With his heart thundering in his throat, Haku jerked sideways until his back was against the opposite wall. A gust blew round the tiny room, rapidly turning the pages of the magazine laid out on the table behind her. The contents of his cloak lay all around it, including his mask. But even as the warning wind plucked at her hair and clothes Kubi sat back on her heels, obviously unfazed by the unspoken threat.

"Go away, Kubi!"

Haku pointed meaninglessly, ready for her to be gone.

"No." Her flinty eyes narrowed dangerously, "I owe you."

"You have nothing that I want," he shot back hurriedly, " _Go!_ "

Her face hardened until it could have been carved from ice. Reaching into her sweater she withdrew something and tossed it on the quilt. Haku jumped as it landed between them heavily. A porcelain white face stared up at the ceiling, its mournful eyes empty, and thin-lipped with a dainty frown. It was her mask. Haku winced at the sight.

"I know what its like to be both and neither," she murmured, "I can help you."

The livid words he was about to throw disappeared before that truth.

All the same, Haku gritted his refusal through clenched teeth.

"I do not want your help."

Abruptly Kubi pivoted beside the bed, turning to the table. Her metallic eyes roved the items on the surface.

"I bet you don't even know what some of these are for."

His face burned with the truth as she plucked up the magazine. It turned itself to the winkled page that bore far more wear than the others. She turned an image on him. Haku's insides constricted with remorse as Chihiro's photograph smiled out at him.

"Is this her?" Kubi asked lightly, scrutinizing the picture with a critical moue.

" _Put that down!"_

Haku threw off the covers, knocking her mask onto the floor as he reached for the picture. Laughing huskily Kubi held it out of reach as he spilled beside her, climbing across her lap to reach for it. And it was a mistake. At once she hooked her hand around the nap of his neck and threw him face down on the tatami mat. Stunned by her strength, he uttered a stifled gasped as she pinned him there, placing the magazine on the floor beside his face so that his breath stirred the pages. He cringed as her lips mouthed the sensitive skin of his ear, at once terrified she might to bite him again.

"You saved my life," She murmured against his neck, "I'm gonna help you whether you like it or not."

Haku shuddered violently because he could not decide whether he had done so out of anticipation or revulsion. At once Kubi sat back, batting Chouchin aside as the lantern dived at her head.

"Traitor," She muttered irritably.

Then there was a firm wrap on the door.

Haku jolted up off the floor as Kubi's weight dissolved. Scrambling back against the side of the bed, he threw his eyes around the room, finding both the lantern and the former God gone. He barely had enough time to jerk on a shirt as the sliding door across the tiny room jerked open.

In flowed a tiny late aged woman with a tight face to match the tight bun perched atop her head like a pin-cushion. He was struck by the long lean muscles that comprised her frame, robbing her of any softness as if she had been chipped from wood. Like the mad young man who had accosted him in the park, this human was not a child of Yamato. Her straw-colored hair was shot with silver, features almost hollow they were so boney, but her brown eyes were fierce behind gold rimmed glasses. Wearing oddly styled tight-fitting garments and frowning at him shrewishly, she planted her tiny hands on her hips with smooth movements at odds with her years, standing straight backed with feet posed before and behind her as if by habit.

"Fell out of bed, did you?"

She spoke Japanese with a rounded accent. Her voice was sour as her expression as she lifted her pointy chin. She came at him as if on wings, right up in his face and making him jolt back against the bed as she peered at him as if getting ready to peck out his eyes like some grim blackbird.

"Are you a drunk!?"

"I… No …?" It was more question than answer.

"Show me your arms!" She commanded, obviously used to giving orders.

Baffled, Haku obeyed, extending them so she could carefully inspected the crooks.

"Not a druggie either, I see."

He had no idea what she was talking about. And he flinched as her sharp gaze pinned him in place.

"You have green eyes… Where are you from!?"

Haku gaped, finding himself at a loss. He knew not how to answer.

"Cat got your tongue?" She stamped her foot in exasperation, "I suppose you don't have an ID, eh? Probably no work references either."

"Enough," A familiar woman's voice called from the hallway.

 _Thud, thud, thud:_ the sound of the cane hitting each step echoed through the door. The same human who had given to him generously in the park finally surmounted the stairs, her weary face gray as if the climb had cost her. She wore a purple kimono now, and her ochre obi was patterned with flowing charcoal clouds. At once the foreigner had her arm, guiding her to a seat in the tiny room's only chair, speaking in a strangely halting nasal language that was not Japanese.

Haku blinked, startled as he understood every word. (2)

"You didn't have to come all the way up, Hitomi," the sour human scolded, "I can handle this."

"I don't doubt that," she answered mildly in the same strange language almost fluently, "But I'd like you to be gentle with him."

"Haw!" Origa snorted with a dismissive glance, "He looks thick skinned enough."

With a thin lipped smile, Hitomi gazed at him from the corners of her eyes as she bent her head over her cane, still breathing hard.

"How are you feeling?"

She was speaking in Japanese now.

"I… I am well… T-thank you," Haku stammered diffidently, shamed by her concern, "I am terribly sorry to have troubled you."

Collecting forward onto his knees, he bowed. From beneath the shaggy fringe of his hair Haku watched the sour human start. Blinking rapidly as if shocked, she looked at him as if seeing him for the first time.

"It is no trouble. My name is Kazue Hitomi. I am the owner of this building."

She spoke with an easy formality of someone from a high family. With a graceful gesture Hitomi motioned to the second human.

"This is Sidorova Origa," she arranged the sour human's name in proper order, with her family name first, "She is my good friend and the director of the dance studio next door to this apartment."

"A pleasure."

But that did not seem to be the case as the sour human performed a strange vertical dip not at all like a proper Japanese bow. She finished by tossing up her chin in a challenging motion. Seconds passed before Haku realized Hitomi was looking at him expectantly. He was not sure why all of a sudden he decided to lie. Perhaps it was because his name was something from before and he did not wish it upon the human. Perhaps it was because this was his chance to begin anew and become someone else.

"M-my name is Kou." (3)

It was not entirely a lie as it was a part of his name.

"It is nice to meet you, Kou."

Hitomi smiled softly as if enjoying a private joke while sitting back in the chair. Still frowning as if she did not like the smell of something in the room, Origa whirled away, pacing with long-legged strides as she cracked her neck, glancing at him and watching his every move. Here Hitomi's voice changed, growing far more serious.

"I apologize, Kou, for now I must be frank. Judging from the fact that we found you half dead in my shed, it is safe for me to assume you have no where to go."

Haku blinked rapidly as his mouth fell open. He shut it and nodded, not trusting himself to speak. As shame sent his face red, he dropped his chin, hiding beneath his infuriatingly long hair.

"I see…" Hitomi pushed her glasses up her nose. She frowned as if worried for him, "Permit me then to make you an offer. The restaurant below us is in need of a dish washer. Jean-Paul cannot pay much but I will make up for that by letting you this apartment for a bit of grounds work. You will also eat since Jean Paul feeds all his employees anyway. Plus you will have the chance to make extra money through tips."

Haku blinked. He had no idea what a tip was but knew this offer was in excess.

"Haw!" Origa snorted in Russian, confirming his suspicions as she crossed her arms and tossed her head, "You were always too generous, golubushka." (4)

"Be quiet, сестра…"(5) Hitomi muttered back in the foreign tongue, eyes sharp as they flashed sideways at the sour human.

Bowing low, Haku found himself shaking. In spite of what it would afford him employment, food, and a human residence free from exposure to the elements, the offer was too generous. It made him ill at ease, as did many things in this world, for he knew not why this human was so concerned for his well being.

"I… I cannot impose," he hushed after a tense moment, "I have overburdened your hospitality already."

"It is no burden for I have a condition," Hitomi returned smoothly.

Her careful words sent his insides still.

Cautiously Haku glanced at her from between the matted strands of his hair.

"And what is that?"

"You must dance at Origa's studio, for free of course. Whether or not you choose to perform is up to you, but as I require of all her _special_ students, as you learn so you must teach in return."

* * *

 **Notes:**

O-kaeri nasai means welcome home in Japanese. Its part of a cultural saying that is habitually said upon leaving and returning.

Just as Kami can play any instrument and dance any dance, they can also speak and understand every language. Why? Because humans learned language from the Gods, just as they did song and dance. Even though Haku is no longer a God, he retains many of their gifts.

Kou is a Japanese unisex name meaning: happiness -幸 ; light -光, or peace -康.

Golubushka literally means "my dove" in Russian. It carries the same association as sweetheart.

Pronounced _sih-STRAH._ It means sister.

 **Author's note:**

Good on Haku, eh? Not many guys could summon as much restraint as he just showed, especially one so new to sexuality. That's a very important lesson he's still figuring out and there's no easy answer to the love/lust quandary. Humans spend their whole lives figuring out that mess. Imagine how very confusing it is for someone like Haku who doesn't know the different between the two? Poor guy.


	21. Chapter 21

**HAKU**

"If you are here in the morning I will assume you have accepted."

At once Hitomi stood stiffly, turning away before he could reply.

"Good night, Kou."

Origa swept out of the room after her, tossing her chin as she departed. Still bowing and finding himself at even more of a loss, Haku listened to the slow heavy thud of the departing human's cane. It had not been silent for more than a moment when footsteps filled the hall, loudly tromping up toward him. Unnerved, Haku sat back as two human girls peered around the doorframe as if trying to decide whether or not he was indeed a ghost.

Well, perhaps not girls, for on second glace they proved to be Chihiro's age.

One was tall and thin with brown hair to tightly knotted atop her head the skin of her face seemed pulled like. Like Origa the human had no curves to speak of. The other female was small and had in abundance all the rounded softness her companion did not. Her hair was terribly short, pulled up into two tails at either temple, making her wide-eyed stare even more child-like. Further he shrank as they invaded the tiny space like nosy birds, this time curiously and not intending to peck out his eyes. Both wore the same strange clinging clothing as the sour faced human but again their colors defied each other. Kana wore earthen tones whereas Fuu wore peaches and pinks. His cheeks turned to coals as he realized they smelled very strongly of salt and flowery female odors as if recently at hard work. The tall one put a folded towel on the corner of the table. On top rested a plastic packaged toothbrush and a tiny bar of soap.

"That's for you," She explained, shoving things out of the way to make room.

He cringed as his mask skidded. Oblivious, the human straightened with flowing grace uncommon to her kind and Haku found himself staring.

"I'm Kana. That's Fuu," she nodding at the child woman before frowning him up and down curiously, "Who're you?"

"K-Kou." He replied hesitantly.

" _Eh?!"_ Rudely she put a hand to her ear, bending towards him.

"Kou," he repeated louder, "My name is Kou!"

At once Haku shrank from the bowl the little human thrust it right into his face. With pink-cheeked enthusiasm words rushed from Fuu's lips in a hurried mess.

" _Ibroughtyousomethingtoeat!"_

Kana wiped a hand over her face as she rolled her eyes. Fuu seemed about ready to climb into his lap and begin feeding him so Haku hastily took the bowl. He knew not what it was but it smelled heavenly and the warmth soaked through the ceramic until it was close to burning his fingers.

"T-thank you," He stammered.

"Wow…!" Fuu breathed, getting right up in his face and staring with a wide unwavering gaze, "You're eyes are green! That's so cool!"

If he had leaned back any further he would have fallen to the floor.

"C'mon!" Abruptly Kana yanked Fuu backwards, pulling her by the arm then pushing her out the door. But then she glanced back at him, leaning on the jam with a knowing grin.

"Jae's gonna come for you at the butt crack o' dawn, just so y'know. Be prepared to work your ass off and good luck getting some sleep. See you in the morning, Kou."

With that she yanked the slider closed.

"Ka- _na_! I don' wanna go yet!" Fuu whined all the way down the stairs, "What if he disappears and I'm not there to see it!?"

"Damnit, Fuu! He's not a ghost!"

"He could be," She sounded so very hopeful, "He so pale..."

As their voices faded Haku took up the jutting spoon and devoured the contents of the bowl. Gods above, he was _starving!_ His illness seemed to have gnawed away at all he had eaten the day prior. But never before had he tasted such strange and delicious food. Thick vegetables were heaped up in the dish: soft savory tomatoes gave to his teeth as pungent garlic, sweet onion, and succulent eggplant melted in his mouth. He was surprised by the ribbons of grilled bell pepper and wheels of soft carrot. Through out all married sharp tangy herbs and luscious pats of melting butter. Forgoing the spoon he struggled to lick the bowl clean. Setting the empty dish on the corner of the table, Haku settled back against the bed with a contented sigh.

Inquiringly, however, his eyes roved the room, for it was little more than that.

Overhead the ceiling sloped sharply so that he might hit his head should he stand beside the bed. From the bare rafters there hung a single bare bulb; it hummed harshly. To the right of the door was a nook of kitchen. It housed a hot plate but no oven. Not that he knew what to do with an oven. Above the burners were two doors that comprised a single cabinet. To the right was a bucket of a sink and below was a tiny humming box that must be what was known as a refrigerator. To the left of the door was a chair and another terribly thin doorway that lead to a bath. He could smell the water within. That left the narrow bed behind his back and the closet at its foot. He could not fit inside it if he tried. Haku was quite sure that if he moved the low table and lay in the middle of the floor he might to touch all four walls at once.

Not that he needed anything more.

It was clean, bright, and warm.

He found himself sorely tempted to accept Hitomi-san's offer. It was unlike anything he had encountered before. No contracts, no binding bargains; it was as if the human genuinely wanted to help him. Again, that made him extremely nervous. Haku glanced up as the hard beat of strange music filtered through the opposite wall. So did Origa's sharp voice.

"One, two, three! Higher! _Higher!_ "

The floor shook beneath a distant impact.

Ignoring the sounds and vibrations, shyly Haku climbed onto the bed half afraid to get it dirty. The plush quilt gave beneath him, so did the soft futon. Stretching out his feet only just hung off the end. Listening to the distant pulse of the music, smelling the strange smells of the place, and feeling the shudder in the floor as things bounced distantly, he found a cord hanging beside the wooden slats over the window. Pulling this the curtain lifted. Sitting up and almost hitting his head, he blinked at the height outside.

Beyond the glass and the roof a high hill sloped down to the cobbled alley and the shed that had once been his shelter. Most of the snow had melted for he could clearly see over the back fence into O-Inari-sama's shrine. Through the bare fingers of the trees the sun had already set, staining the bare sky a pale minty blue green.

It was barely past dusk.

He had managed to sleep all day.

Sweeping his fingers over the glass he could feel the terrible cold seeping through. As if reading his thoughts a tiny grate in the wall buzzed to life, pumping a dry hot wind into the room. Haku did not flinch as a ghostly light reflected off the pane. The brightness in the room shifted. Glancing up, a smile quirked his lips as the God lantern cagily circled the bare electric bulb, bumping it challengingly only to flee behind him like a startled jelly fish as if it had bitten her.

"Hello, Chouchin," he appealed to the pale globe floated over his head, "What do you think? Should we stay?"

The lantern did not answer.

Instead she curiously circled the table.

Following her, Haku's eyes roved over the items.

Luckily all of his possessions had not fallen out of his cloak else he was sure Hitomi-san would not have been so generous with her offer. Humans did not carry swords and bows in this day. But he was forced with chagrin to admit Kubi was right. The umbrella had been straightforward enough, so had the six elements. He knew not, however, what to do with some of Onsen's other gifts. Putting on the broken glasses, he stared around the room seeing that it was indeed a room. With a sigh he turned his attention to the ticking watch that was not a watch. Picking it up, he shook it to no avail, inspecting it carefully until he noticed something. He was not sure how he noticed it as the winding mechanism was a tiny almost unperceivable fob on its outer rim. All the same his eyes were drawn again and again to the knob at the side until he was hard put not to depress it.

With a click the world silenced.

Blinking rapidly, Haku realized the music in the neighboring studio had cut short. Not only that, the watch in his hand ceased to tick. With mounting awe he lifted his eyes to Chouchin, staring as she hung above him perfectly still like she had transformed into the moon. It was as if time had come to a stand still, at least in the immediateness of his vicinity. He had a hard time believing this tiny bit of brass had stopped the entire world. Clicking the button again the music flooded back through the wall. At once there was a grin on his lips as Chouchin bobbed up into the rafters, taking wide leave of the burning electric light. But the wry twist faded as the glasses had him notice something else.

A red token laid among his things and not the one that lead back to Onsen.

It was impossible not to stare at it.

At once he was on his feet with his heart hammering in his throat. He had no way of knowing how long it had been since he left Satako with the promise of a swift return; long enough for snow to fall. Dressed only in pants and a long-sleeved shirt, Haku stuffed the watch into his pocket, snatching up his mask in one hand and the tile in the other. This he slapped against the bathroom door and yanked it closed. Chouchin guttered a ruddy red as magic breathed around the frame.

Pulling it open again he stared at the dark bathroom far too large and smelling too strongly of cleaning chemicals to be his. It was ridiculously warm here, so warm he found himself sweating uncomfortable. His bare feet were silent on the ceramic tiles as he crossed the threshold, staggering forward to grip the sink as he found himself momentarily disoriented. Chouchin flooded the dark chamber with eerie red light that glinted off the hard ceramic tiled walls as she floated in after him. Hastily catching the door, Haku pried the tile from the face before closing it. As he did light of a different kind crept under the jam.

So did a voice that sent him to stillness.

"Do you like it?" Chihiro asked shyly.

At once Haku was sitting on the floor unsure of how he had come to sit. All he knew it his legs were trembling to the point he could not stand. Chouchin circled him with pale concern as Satako's voice broke with excitement.

"Are you kidding me!? My names on the front! _My name!_ "

Chihiro laughed softly.

As if it had physical force Haku bent beneath the sound.

"I take it the new edition has the Satako stamp of approval?"

At once his breath came quick and ragged on his lips. He held it, waiting, straining to hear her to speak, laugh, sigh, anything, _anything!_ But for some reason she lapsed into silence. Creeping forward on his knees, Haku drew the bathroom door open a crack, peering outside.

With her back to him she was sitting in the same chair in which he had once sat. Infuriatingly, Chihiro's face was hidden from him. He could, however, see Satako. Obviously tired and fighting not to be, she was propped in a fort of pillows hugging a book as if it were a priceless object. The hair on the shaved side of her head had grown out some making her look less ill. But as the girl's face fell as she watched Chihiro, making Haku's brow draw into such sharp lines of worry his face ached.

"What's wrong?" Satako frowned, "You look sad."

"Huh?" Chihiro's head jerked up and she smoothed her hair awkwardly, "Oh... I had a fight with a friend. She hasn't come home yet and I'm worried. She'll come home eventually. She always does. Well, I guess I should probably let you get back to sleep."

His insides scrambled as she stood, but Satako spoke for him.

"Don't go yet! Please? Pretty- _pretty_ please?"

"Sorry, kiddo, Doctor's orders," Chihiro called the child by the name Cinna had given her, "I had to do some serious convincing just to get your dad to let me in the door. But couldn't wait any a second longer to get you your copy. It's not out in stores yet. I only got a few advance copies and I wanted to give you yours personally. I even wrote you a special message."

"You did?" Satako blinked, at once opening to the front pages, "Where?"

"I hid it," her voice warmed, "You'll have to read to find it."

But Chihiro was already on her feet, hooking her arm through her purse.

"Come back soon?" Satako pleaded of her as she had of him, "Please?"

"Sure thing," here Chihiro hesitated as if unsure, "I… I think I might have another project for you to help me with."

"Really!? What is it?"

"I'm still working on it. Maybe I'll tell you when it's done."

"Awww…!" Satako pouted, sticking out her bottom lip to no avail.

With another giggle Chihiro leaned forward and planted a kiss on the girl's forehead. Haku panicked as he realized she was about to leave. Shoving his hand into his pocket, he pressed the button on the clock that was not. Chihiro was smiling, but as she turned away the mask of her humor cracked as time stood still.

On unsteady feet Haku pushed open the door, glancing about cautiously before inching forward on bare feet. Feeling uneasy as he moved in a world of perfectly motionless silence, he crept out into the room. And he was still wearing the broken glasses and his eyes saw only one thing as if all else in the world had ceased to be. Stepping into her path as if he could stop her, Haku struggled to keep himself in check because already an unruly breeze was creeping around his ankles. Here, right in front of him, was everything he loved, everything that mattered most to him. He needed no help from the glasses to see this.

All the same he stared; because Haku barely recognized her. Chihiro had pulled her hair back into the tight twist, lacquered in place with chemical laced pomade. Her pale gray suit was equally rank with unnatural smells and she looked more than imposing. Such hardness did not become her, nor did the make-up she wore on her eyes and lips. He wanted to wipe it away, half afraid that it was somehow smothering her. But what worried him most were the dark circles beneath her eyes no paint could hide entirely. It only accentuated the deep crease between her brows.

Again the glasses reveal the crack in her mask.

Through it he could see all Chihiro's terrible fear.

It had followed her all the way to Tokyo.

And it felt as if his heart had stopped along with time.

How he wanted to hold her now even though the embrace would be stolen. How he wanted to follow her home until in dreams he could come to her and make her forget if only for a moment that she was not alone. For a moment Haku could care less if she never woke, he care not that she would never remember him. All he wanted was to be near her. And she was so close; so very, very close. But as he lifted his hands to touch her face, to brush back the stray strand of hair that had escaped its prison, Haku fell still as the blood pumping thunderously through his veins suddenly froze.

At once his hands were shaking.

These hands…

They had taken life heedlessly.

They had gladly touched the flesh of another.

How could he touch her with such hands?!

With a shuddering breath Haku took them back. Shame blistered and charred his insides until he was hollow with remorse. Because it would be simple to follow her home; simple to steal into her dreams and selfishly use her for his comfort. Though she would not remember him or any of what had happened, she would keep all the pain caused by that loss. Suzume was right but stubbornly Haku had chosen to ignore the fox's council. Lifting his stricken gaze to Chihiro Haku saw the legacy of his past efforts written on her troubled face and realized he had been thinking of naught but himself. Burned by the anguish of that truth, he turned and fled.

Haku crept behind the curtain in back of Satako's bed, pressing into the hidden corner. For a long moment he stood there quaking, then pressed the button on the clock that was not a clock. Sound roared in his ears like the surly ocean as movement returned the room. Curtains wafted and shadows stirred. And Chihiro's retreating steps echoed inside his head like hammer falls.

"G'night, Saka-chan!"

"Night!" The little girl called cheerily.

Then the door clicked shut.

Satako jolted with a shrill squeak as Chouchin spilled out of the bathroom. Bathing the dim room in ruddy red light, the God-light dipped inquisitively towards the human's bed. Holding up the book like a shield, the terrified girl shrank against the pillows. To quick to see Haku was in front of her bed gently redirecting the lantern before she could greet the child with her customary collision.

"Do not be afraid of Chouchin, Satako," he explained quietly, "She is a friend."

The lantern turned a shy pink at his words, coyly drifting aside. But Satako was not looking as Chouchin. She was gaping at him wide-eyed with shock. At once she was madly point to the door.

" _C-Chihiro!"_

"I know." He breathed, not trusting himself to say more.

"W-what're you waiting for!?" Satako hushed impatiently, "Go after her!"

He stared at the door helplessly.

"I cannot."

"W-why not!?"

"What would I say to her if I followed?" He returned with a calm he did not feel, "She would not know me and surely think me a madman."

Again the child was staring at him uncomprehending.

"B-but she's right there! Y-you said all you needed was to find her! You said it was like Sleeping Beauty!"

Haku had no idea who this sleeping beauty was.

"Satako, it is not so simple..."

He tried to explain but found he could not.

" _Why not?!"_

Haku flinched as Satako's rage hit him palpably. Until now she had always been such a tranquil child. But now, now she struck her tiny hands against the blankets as her face drew into lines of frustration and sorrow that should not belong to one so young. Tossing her book aside she gripped the railing, shaking it as if it trapped her. For a moment it seemed she intended to climb out of bed and shove him out into the hall.

"Why can't you just go kiss her and wake her up!?" Satako pressed while throwing her hand at the door angrily, "What about _magic_?! It's the reason I'm still alive, isn't it!? Chihiro used her wish up on me, Onsen told me so! So if a wish can save me can't it save her!? Can't you cast a spell to take away the curse or… or _something_!?"

No longer trusting his legs, Haku sank into the chair. It still carried Chihiro's warmth. Cringing, he sank his face into his hands.

"Satako, I… I _cannot_ wake one who will not be woken." Haku drove himself to repeat Bah-Fuh's words, half unsure of what he was saying, "I was wrong when I assumed all that was needed was to meet her again. I… I fear a part of Chihiro _wants_ to sleep. And there are something things that cannot be forced even by magic."

Satako appealed to him with devastating eyes all too similar to Chihiro's.

"I… I don't understand."

"Neither do I, little one."

Haku found himself staring at the door, just as much at a loss.

"But take solace in this, Satako, because of all times and all places here we are once more, together but apart. For us it is not the first time this has happened. All our lives she and I have met and parted only to meet again. That must mean something."

Haku felt strength returning to him as what he was about to say rang with truth.

"I am not afraid to see her go for I know I will see her soon."

They jumped in perfect unison as a knock sounded on the door.

"Saka-chan?" Someone called softly, "You still awake, honey?"

In the blink of an eye, Haku was back inside the bathroom struggling to swallow his heart as it had leapt into his mouth. He pressed into the thick shadows to the right of the door with Chouchin held in his arm. She fluttered pink again only to dim to a dwindled point as he let her free. Peering around the frame he watched a middle aged human woman squeezed through a crack in the door. She was terribly thin as if gnawed away by the concern buzzing inside her dark eyes. If ever an expression belonged to a mother it was such worry. The human came up short as his startled wind gusted over her, wafting the curtains as it finished a full circuit of the room. At once her pinched face wiped clean with shock as she knocked back against the door.

"Aww, Mom!" Angrily Satako hit the coverlet with her tiny fists,"You _scared_ him away!"

Minako that was Satako's mother's name, Haku remembered now. The poor woman blinked rapidly as that sank in. At once her curious eyes searched the room.

"I-is it one of _them_?" She whispered, half afraid half eager.

Apparently Chihiro had revealed much to this woman.

"Yeah…" Satako was pouting again, "Well, at least he _was_!"

"I'm so sorry." Minako bowed and bowed to the room, retreating hastily and almost closing the door before poking her head back in and glancing about hopefully, "Please come back now."

" _Mom!"_

Finally the door clicked shut but he knew the woman was waiting outside. Still eyeing the entrance to the room cagily, Haku hesitated on the threshold.

"I… I should go," he nodded at the door, "She is listening."

"Fine…" Satako muttered sullenly, "Everyone's always leaving me behind, anyways. Not that I can walk. I can't even get out of bed for long."

Sinking back against the pillows she sniffled quietly, dashing at her cheeks with the corner of her sleeve. Realizing she was crying Haku was at the foot of her bed, once again reaching out to touch one of her tiny feet as he rushed to console her.

"I know what it is to be trapped. It is a difficult thing to be patient." She refused to look at him, and he was hard pressed to think of something to bring her happiness, "When you are well enough I promise not to leave you behind."

"Really!?"

Tears forgotten and face alight, at once she was sitting up.

"That could be soon, you know. My PT sessions are getting longer and longer. I can almost stand up again." She waved a hand at her head. "Dad's pretty sure it won't come back, he said the tests say so."

Haku blinked, only now realizing what he had promised.

"Can we go back to the Onsen? Please, please, please? I'd really like to see Kai and the yuna girls again. And the frogs too. And Suzume and Lin."

Was it possible for her eyes to get any bigger?

"Y-yes."

That much was within his power.

"Just you watch!" She grinned with fortitude, "I'll be walking by New Years!"

Another voice sounded outside of the door, this time a quizzical male's.

"What're you doing, Minako?"

Something bumped against the door.

"N-nothing, dear!"

"Crap, that's dad!" Satako hissed under her breath, shooing him, _"Go, go, go!"_

At the bathroom door Haku placed the tile and beckoned Chouchin. The lantern streaked over his head, knocking him into the doorframe as they crossed the portal back to his tiny room. Haku heard Satako's father again just as he shut the door. The human's voice was alight with affection.

"Who are you talking to, Saka-chan?"

"Hi, daddy. Actually, I was reading. See what Chihiro gave me?"

* * *

 **LIN**

Peering around the corner, looking down the long hall, Lin stared.

There it was; sitting like a blot of black at the end of the hall.

Seeing it again was more than unnerving. The last time she'd seen it she still had two arms. But this thing was definitely not Kaonashi though it wore the gaki's mask. Tomoe, or whatever it wanted to call itself, hadn't moved a muscle since falling to its knees in front of Suzume.

The fox had yet to return; neither had Mrs. Nikkou.

The old witch took off for the camphor springs the moment she heard about Cinna.

Lin tried not to worry and failed miserably.

Instead she distracted herself by keeping watch. All day she'd been up and down the back stairs, checking on it. And it was so _weird!_ Unlike kami it had not faded with time in the mortal world. If anything it had grown darker with the setting sun, solidifying like the water stain creeping through the cream colored paper on the ceiling of the bathroom downstairs. Now that it was well into night the thing was completely solid, still trapped in the doorway and circumscribed by the shinegawa rice rope. Lin didn't know if it was because the thing was half way God and human like Haki, but this time unlike the others, it had drawn back its hood and mask.

And her insides itched with curiosity so intense she couldn't abide by Suzume's warnings. Chewing the fingers of her only hand, she considered herself luckily the guest wing was far enough off from the main building. The human visitors hadn't heard anything. The elderly couple rose early and slept late, to deaf to hear her even when she spoke to their faces. Amano was only too happy to take Kai and Kiri home after diner. Thanks to the red tokens she'd fixed to their front door they didn't have to worry about driving in the snow. Lin ordered the other kami not to go upstairs and they had to obey.

But Lin had her name.

She didn't have to obey anyone.

Crouched at sitting on the top step, she gave herself permission to be curious; because it would have to eat if it was to remain. Picking up the bowl of rice she'd brought, the floor of the hall creaked beneath her feet as she stood awkwardly, although not because Onsen was trying to warn her. If anything the house's behavior was another mystery. She actually seemed to want to let the thing out. Onsen gathered over her head watchfully, a constant light pressure on her back as Lin approached Sen's room cagily.

She jolted to a stop as the stranger lifted its head.

He was male, silver hair was almost iridescent in the light filtering through the window from the brightly lit God Wing. The bath house kami had lit every lantern from floor to ceiling as if trying to chase out the bad luck sitting at her feet. As the thing looked up, slowly lifting his face as if weary, Lin jerked back. His face was obviously flesh it was a perfectly white as if bleached of all color. But his _eyes_...! They had no irises or pupils only endlessly jet black. The sight reminded her far too much of what the Forgotten had done to Kiri when it stole her body. And she flinched again as he put up a quelling hand.

"Peace, Lin-sama. I have not forgotten myself."

He talked just like Haku, which complicated things even more. He even sat like Haku, all proper with neatly folded knees and hands. It made Lin _very_ uncomfortable.

"H-here…!" She almost dropped the rice bowl, scooting it with her foot to the edge of the ring, "I brought you something to eat!"

He looked at it with pinched exhaustion but shook his head.

"Thank you for your kindness, but I can neither eat nor drink."

Lin gaped a long moment before recovering enough to speak.

"W-won't you _fade_!?"

He whispered as if stricken, "If Okesa does not return I will fade."

Squatting, which was quite a feat thanks to her full belly, Lin put her back to the corner of the hall and scowled.

"What's the cat to you anyways?"

"As I said to Suzume-sama," The stranger continued, "She is my life."

Lin snorted as her frown intensified, "That's not an answer."

"I wonder if you would believe me if I told you the truth," he murmured sadly, lifting his gaze to the ceiling as if appealing to Onsen, "Should even try?"

As the house creaked and settled a lick of apprehension went winding through Lin's chest. As the bowl rattled on the boards the stranger lifted his eerie onyx eyes to regard her with a calmly unwavering gaze that set her neck hairs on end.

"There's no way for me to know if anything you say is true." She gritted through her teeth harshly, "You're both and neither."

"That is true," he began hesitantly, "But it is also true that you already know me."

" _Ha!"_ She cut him off with a humorless laugh, "Now I _know_ you're lying!"

"You sing beautifully," he cut through her sarcasm with the sharp edge of his calm quiet, "Although you sing your best when Suzume-sama plays his flute."

That he knew all this nearly unhinged her. At once Lin was on her feet and sidling away from him. But for all her sidling she never seemed to get an inch away as Onsen stretched and condensed the hall, returning her to right where she started. On the verge of calling for Suzume, Lin stared at him askance with the urge to run pricking like needles against the balls of her feet.

" _What are you!?"_ She demanded hoarsely.

"Peace, Lin-sama," He repeated, "I do not mean to frighten you."

The stranger dropped his gazed to the floor between them, putting out his gloved hands as if again trying to dispel her disquiet. And he was explaining quickly now.

"I am the soul who dwells in Okesa's shamisen. Once I was a human. I love Okesa and that love cost me my mortal life. Even through I died I refused to leave her, so I became more to remain at her side. I will never fade so long as I am with her."

Lin gaped. That was far too fetched not to be a lie! But an indecisive seed germinated in Lin's mind because she had seen the cat hold her shamisen with such loving care. She'd even caught her talking to it like it was a person or something.

"B-but if you're a shamisen then why…"

She gestured at him meaninglessly.

"I have bargained with the one you call Kaonashi," Tomoe put his hand on his chest, "He has given me his body and in return I share his company. That is all he wants, simply not to be alone."

Again Lin uttered another scathing laugh that surprised them both.

"I hope you know what you've gotten into to, Tomoe-san, 'cause Kaonashi ate several of the kami I used to work with then ran amuck at my former employer's residence. He even tried to eat Sen. He is not as pathetic as he looks."

Tomoe hardened as his black eyes narrowed. He looked like marble he was so very white.

"Kaonashi is a sad, sad creature, Lin-sama. Pity him his fecklessness for never have I met one so lost in his longing for attention."

Lin blinked. Was this guy really defending a gaki!? But then again, Sen had defended Kaonashi too… With a lick of heat burning in her cheeks, Lin sank back to her heels across from him, all too ready to change the subject.

"So how'd the cat get hurt?" She shot back hotly to hide her fear.

That wasn't the question she wanted to ask. She wanted to ask about how Cinna had been hurt. She wanted to know where Haku was and why he hadn't come back too. She wanted to know if the stupid dragon was alright but she was too afraid to as just yet, too afraid to hear he might not be alright. At once her heart quickened in her throat as Tomoe's face fell into such stricken lines she sucked in her breath and held it.

"Must we speak of _that_?" He pleaded in a whisper, answering a question with a question like any other kami might.

And Lin couldn't take it anymore.

"H-Haku," She blurted in a rush, "Is he d-dead!?"

"Nigihayami-sama?" Tomoe blinked as if confused for a moment but then his ivory face cleared, "He is quite alive. He sent me back for Okesa's sake but would not come for he still seeks Sen-sama."

Sinking forward onto her knees Lin let out the breath she was holding. He was alive and that was all that mattered. Every bone in her body seemed to melt with relief as she clutched her only arm across the swell of her tight belly silently giving thanks to whatever Gods were looking out for that stupid, _stupid_ fool. Still weak with gratitude, Lin pressed her hand to the wall, struggling upright. The ghost rose with her, hands hovering as if ready to give assistance that would've been impossible to give since he was trapped in the circle. But his dark eyes were wide as they remained fixed on her belly.

"You are far with child," Tomoe hushed, "How long has it been since we left?"

"Three months. It's the first of December."

"I see," His marble face tightened, "For us it had been only a week or so, but we have been in and out of the Spirit World. Time has passed far too quickly."

Lin was aghast.

"You took Haku into the Spirit World!? _"_ She stamped her foot in fury, "What were you thinking!? _They_ hate the unwhole! They could've killed him or worse!"

Lin hardly heard herself, hardly heard the way she said _they_ , as if she wasn't kami. And Tomoe flinched, shrinking as if afraid of her words and already apologetic.

"This I know, Lin-sama, but Okesa…"

He cut off as the doorway to the kitchen ripped open, slamming against the wall beneath them and making the floor jolt as footsteps pounded up the backstairs. The cat dragged herself up onto the landing, sprawling out as she struggled to catch her breath.

" _Okesa!"_ Tomoe cried.

Lin's heart squeezed at the sound, moved by the truth of the permeating emotion just as she was once again moved by gladness to see the cat alive. Abruptly Cinna's face jerked up. The same color as O-Inari-sama's vermillion arches, mud caked the cat's face and hair. It was still wet on her bare shins and hands, smearing on the glossy maple boards. Camphor leaves plastered to half her face, poking from the short crop of her tangled hair still clinging to sticks. But her bloody eyes tightened to slits as they fixed on Tomoe with acuity.

Her lips moved but no sound escaped. And her face twisted with pain she put a mucky hand to her throat. Several scars clearly showed on exposed skin, terrible bites long since healed but at great cost. All the same, her eyes never left the ghost. Such a desperate expression of wanting twisted her face as wordlessly she launched forward off the floor, hurtling forward on hands and feet in long loping strides. At once the ghost was reaching though his feet remained firmly planted inside the circle. Lin flattened against the wall as Tomoe sank to his knees with open arms moments before the cat collided with him.

The floor shook as they hit the floor intertwined.

At once red in the face Lin threw her gaze aside, because the cat had Tomoe by the front of his shadowed robe and was kissing him very, _very_ thoroughly. But the ghost flowed around her, at once holding her as they struggled with each other. Hastily retreating to the landing and closing the slider to the hall, Lin lurched awkwardly downstairs only to come up short on the bottom stair.

The back door was open, letting cold breath in.

Outside she could see faces peering from the God Wing.

In the kitchen, moving with painstaking gentleness, Suzume was easing Reika to a seat in the nook. The old witch was drawn and pinched with exhaustion. There was red clay on the hem of her kimono and the sleeves of her heavily padded jacket. Standing over her with and equally smeared with mud, the fox hovered black faced with anxiety like cloud laden with snow. Carefully, so very carefully he unwound the muffler cowling the old human's head.

"You should _not_ have come, beloved!"

"I know, dear," Reika chuckled as she sagged on the bench, "That's why I came."

"Oh, why must you always reach beyond yourself, beloved," He choked, already fretting as she listed against him, "You have so _little_ of yourself left!"

The witch's breath was a plume of white as she absently patted his hand.

"Because you needed my help, dear; you always did."

As the stairs creaked beneath Lin's feet Suzume's gaze shot to her. Panic was so bright in his eyes that they reflected like mirrors in the dim kitchen. But Lin was already down onto the cold tile as they desperately appealed for help.

"Wine," Lin contradicted Onsen as the kettle anxiously whisked to the fire that started up in a guttering hiss inside the ancient hearth, "She needs something much stronger than tea."


	22. Chapter 22

**LIN**

Lin blinked as her eyes opened.

It was extremely early or perhaps extremely late.

Her room was completely dark and not even a sliver of light flooded around the wind frame. With an irritable moan she pulled the quilts over her head, burrowing into the warmth beneath them. She'd been up way too late last night pouring over the book Sen sent. The sickly human, what was her name? Satako. Satako had captured them perfectly in the illustration and Lin spent hours looking at the pictures alone. She did not want to get up even though she must because she badly needed a bathroom. It was becoming routine thanks to her advanced pregnancy; up and down all night ever night.

Only then did she notice Suzume was absent from her bed.

She could care less where the fox slept, especially since she and the old woman had finally reached an accord. Though Lin did not like the old witch, even though she was an insufferable busy-body who thought she knew everything about everyone, it was a strange thing to move from loathing to amicability in such a short time. It was such a blessing to have someone to commiserate with over Suzume. Reika could read the fox like a book and it was helpful to be able to seek council from another. That complicate things, making them even stranger given how very thin Mrs. Nikkou had returned from the camphor tree.

Lin's heart tightened to a cold knot of stone inside her chest as she considered how the human faded more and more each day. It was terrible to watch the wick of her candle grow smaller even as her light remained bright. And it was even more terrible knowing one day very soon she would snuff out entirely. Lin did not want her to go and not just for Suzume's sake. Slowly Lin had come to count Reika as one of her humans, as one of her friends. For her own sake, Lin did not want the human to go.

Lin's eyes shot to the door as again the noise that woke her sounded outside. Webbed feet shuffled and whispered voices argued at the base of the stairs leading up from the God Wing's common room. With narrowed eyes she listened intently, trying to figure out what the idiots were up to?

"You go up and knock!" Aniyaku hissed anxiously.

"But I don' wanna be the one t'wake her up!" Little Green Frog shot back tremulously, "What if she get's _mad_!?"

"M-m-miss Lin's always k-kkk-kinda mad," Yoshi counseled encouragingly, trying to be helpful.

"I don't get why we have t'wake her up?" Kai cut in.

At once Lin was wide awake. What the hell was the boy doing here!?

"Why _are_ you here, human!?" Aniyaku shot back peevishly as if it just occurred to him to ask, "Go home! _"_

"Lin won't know I'm here if I go back before she gets up," Kai wheedled, "Can't I just sleep in one of the empty guest rooms?"

Aniyaku was unmoved.

"You've got a perfectly good bed to sleep in at home, so shoo! _Shoo!_ "

"Sir? Why can't he just stay here," Little Green Frog came to his friend's defense.

"He's already h-h-here, sir." Yoshi added persuasively.

"Please!?" Kai cut in sharply, "I _c-can't_ sleep there anymore!"

Lin's insides contracted with apprehension as she clearly heard the panic in the little human's voice. He was obviously terrified of something at his house and Lin had an inkling of just what that was.

Without hesitation she tossed back the quilt and struggled upright. Onsen opened her door silently and Lin was through the tiny common area and at the top of the stairs without a sound. Planting her only hand on her hip, she peered down at the clustered frogs with a dour expression, feeling the scars on her face tighten.

Yoshi saw her first and he jolted with gasps, cringing into the others.

" _M-m-miss L-Lin!"_

They shrank with apologetic bows, falling back from Kai and leaving him totally exposed. Equally startled, the little human jittered away from the base of the stairs before flashing a sheepish winning smile that was all too much like his father's. As f he was running away from home, the little human was wearing a bulging knapsack and carried a pillow under his arm. He wore pajamas under his heavy coat but his feet were bare.

"Back to bed, frogmen," Lin muttered while descending with difficulty. She couldn't see stairs or her feet thanks to her huge belly. Gods, the kits were big!

"Yes, Miss Lin!"

Aniyaku bowed twice before seizing Yoshi and Little Green Frog by the sleeve and hauling them away.

"Bye, Kai," L.G. waved solemnly, "See you soon."

As she reached the bottom the human child turned shy as if suddenly afraid.

"G'mornin'," Kai bobbed a timid bow before his face fell, "Or, um... night?"

Lin reconsidered her harsh words as she took in the boy's face. There were dark circles under his eyes and he had the gaunt look of exhaustion. In spite of the good face he put forward fear pinched his brow, circling in his wide hazel eyes as they remained fixed on the floor.

"Come with me," Lin murmured gently as she held out her hand.

Kai shivered as he took it, following behind her meekly.

"Wow, you're really _cold_."

And he was strangely warm, but then again, all humans were.

The bald dark sky was dusted with brilliant stars as they crossed the frosted footbridge leading back to the main house. Mouth hanging open, Kai stared at them in awe. His breath plumed white in the dark even as hers did not. Onsen opened the door and lit the lights in the kitchen. Thankfully she didn't have to search because the cat was in the nook as usual.

Blinking bleary red eyes, Cinna jolted up with every hair on her body and tail standing on end. Grimacing as she put a hand to her head, the cat flattened her velvet black ears and sank forward onto the table top. Several empty sake bottles littered the floor. As the door snicked closed behind her, Lin tried not to stare at the cat's scars. But the bite marks were more than unnerving. As the neckline of her tattered oversized black shirt dipped off her shoulder Lin clearly saw the line of puncture marks continue from her throat down her shoulder and onto her back.

There were so many.

And in all too familiar a movement Cinna put a hand to her neck, tugging up her shirt to cover them as her pale face fell. Lin turned and addressed the shadow tucked behind the cat. Somehow Cinna had released the shadow from his prison and Suzume was too occupied with other things for Lin to bother him with a loose ghost. In spite of the fact that the thing was one of the unwhole, Lin believed his fantastic story.

"I need your help, Tomoe."

Kai gasped as he finally saw the ghost, making Cinna jump again as her tail bristled out into a huge black brush. Without a sound the cat dived under the table sending bottles clattering. Stupid with panic, the little human tried to run as well. But Lin held fast, putting her arm around him and letting him hid behind her as he trembled.

"It's alright, Kai," She tried to be reassuring, "Tomoe's, ah, _different_."

Lifting transparent hands to push back his cowl, the ghost solidified into inky substantiality as his frowning ivory face turned to the human.

"The boy can see me?"

Tomoe seemed just as unnerved as the child.

"That's the problem," Lin appealed to Kai, "Tell him why you're here."

Shaking visibly, the human was staring at the ghost with perfectly round eyes. Again Lin was impressed by the boy's resilience as he struggled to speak.

"T-there's _somethin'_ in my house," Kai stammered, "It h-hides during the day. But at night when dad an' Kiri are asleep it won't leave me alone. It stands at my doorway looking in at me. It wanders around the house. It k-kinda looks like you."

Lin picked up where the human left off, speaking quickly for the boy's sake.

"The thing he's talking about is the thing you saw last night. You talked to it. You called it little sister. What is it?"

Utterly baffled, Cinna peered from under the table with flattened ears as Tomoe white face composed into a perfectly blank mask.

"She is a ghost, Lin-sama."

Again it was like he was defending the thing and she felt as if the ghost was scolding her for being intolerant. Utterly confused, she struggled with that.

"B-but the old priest at the Kumomi temple said Kiri made it. He called it a _boshi_. She said it was one of her emotions transformed into something else."

Lin scrambled back, pulling Kai with her as Tomoe stood silently. He passed right through the bench and table as he glided forward onto the empty floor at the center of the kitchen. Scrambling after him with a series of choked sounds, Cinna caught the hem of his inky robe and pulled him up short.

"Peace, Ihito," with tender gentleness the ghost collected the cat up off the floor, holding her close as he motioned to the ground, "How many shadows do you see?"

"T-two."

It was Kai who answered.

The human youngling was studying the ground with a conflicted expression.

"Look closely when next you see her. Look during the day and you will see she also has two shadows. That is because there are two souls in her body."

"W-what!?" Lin was shocked.

Tomoe led Cinna back to the nook, putting his arms around her as the cat silently clung to him, burying her face in his ethereal chest as the ghost smoothed her messy hair. And Lin listened intently as he continued to explain. Because Kiri was one of her humans and these were answers that might finally calm the stupid girl.

"The priest you speak of is not mistaken, Lin-sama. Human emotions are powerful things and they have the ability to transform. Tell me, has the human named Kiri ever come to death?"

Lin blinked.

It had been ages since she though about those things.

And it was impossible not to see the flooded courtyard outside the human great room. It was impossible not to see the weeping endlessly black eyes of the stupid girl seconds before Mrs. Nikkou shot a red-fletched arrow straight through her heart, killing her instantly as the daemon inside was forced free.

Kiri died that day but somehow lived.

Somehow the human doctors had been able to resuscitate her later with mortal medicine; although how Lin could not imagine. It was nearly impossible for a kami to survive a Forgotten's touch. How a mortal could do so was beyond Lin's comprehension. Sen had lived, but then again, Sen was different. Kiri, however, had no aptitude for magic save for her single gray eye, which gave her the ability to see the unseen.

"Yes." She answered finally, "Kiri died but lived when she shouldn't have."

Lin regretted her harsh words as beside her Kai flinched.

"I see," Tomoe frowned thoughtfully as he lifted his attention from the cat, "And I conjecture now for I know not the circumstances, but I believe that the soul inside her is what returned Kiri to this world. She is old, new, and quite strange. She cannot yet speak but soon will learn."

Gritting her teeth, Lin met Tomoe's eerie onyx eyes as he studied her, looking intently at the empty sleeve at her side before sweeping over the scars on her face.

"Given what you have survived I am not surprised you can see her. Only those who have come to death and returned can see such things. That is why you and the boy see but others do not."

Kai flinched as Tomoe's attention settled on him.

"Do not fear me, child, just as you should not fear the other. I do not know who she is or what she wants, but this I know. She loves your father and the human named Kiri. This I saw in the hallway last night. She also loves you otherwise she would not seek to be near you."

Suddenly Kai didn't seem quite so afraid.

"R-really?"

Tomoe nodded.

"A-actually, this's pretty cool," The human boy stammered shyly with a slowly forming grin, "I've never met ah ghost before."

Lin winced as one of the kittling kicked her hard. And the pressure of their sudden restlessness reminded her of something very important.

"Bathroom," Lin muttered, dropping Kai's hand and hurried for the kitchen stairs.

"W-where are you going!?" Kai called after her.

 _"Bathroom!"_ She snapped back.

Diving through the split curtains, Lin came up short as she ran right into Suzume. She barely saw him in the dark, he blended away into the shadows, almost transparent with worry. But he caught her by the arm, staring down at her with a blank expression.

As Lin stared up at her mate she knew he'd heard everything.

* * *

 **HAKU**

Heavily footsteps fell on the bottom stair.

With a snort Haku jerked upright only to hit his head on the sloped ceiling.

Stifling a moan, he rolled out of bed as Chouchin guttered to life, flooding the room with startled pink light as she dropped to hover worriedly over his head. He had slept long and hard after returning from his visit to Satako. And now all he wanted was to sleep more.

That, unfortunately, was not a possibility.

Groggily teetering out from under the dangerous tilted roof, Haku snatched up his shirt and jerked it on. Blinking rapidly to clear his sleep soaked head; he lurched in a circle around the tiny room and jerked the slider open just as the first knock fell. Outside the madman who had praised him then shortly after threatened him with harm tried to knock a second time only to encounter no door. Oblivious to Chouchin as she still hovered over Haku's head, Jae caught himself on the frame only to blink at Haku as if this was Jae's apartment and he was the one knocking.

"Jesus, man!? What t' _fuck_ you doin' up so early!?"

His hair was flat on one side, obviously unbrushed, and he yawned explosively, not even bothering to cover his mouth. His breath stank of old alcohol.

"At least you don't look dead anymore," Jae sniffed blearily.

"T-thank you," Haku stammered as he bowed low, "For your assistance earlier."

Jae looked more than awkward at that.

"Yeah… um… whatever, man. C'mon, we got work t'do."

His voice was a plume of white as he beckoned, slowly slouching down the narrow stairs and throwing shadows in his wake of the buzzing yellow bulb humming at the landing below. It was still bitter, bitter cold and Haku shivered convulsively, hastily grabbing his coat and stocking hat from the hook beside the door. Shoving his mask down the front of his shirt, Haku stepped into the familiar boots neatly arranged on the tiles out front, gently catching the God-Light and urging her back into the apartment.

"No, no," he hushed beneath his breath, "Stay here, Chouchin."

She sputtered and guttered sulkily as he closed the slider.

At once shy and worried, he followed Jae hesitantly. Haku came up short at the base of the stairs, finding himself on a narrow porch. On the opposite side another climb of stairs lifted only to be barred by a chain and sign requesting _Dance_ _Students_ _use the Front Door_. To his right was a dark glass doorway and to his left an open threshold that spilled out onto a wide yet narrow cement courtyard. At the opposite edge of the yard twin lanterns stood at either side of the stone stairs leading down to the shack, yellow and vivacious in the cold. Nothing but the freezing indigo and a few scattered stars filled the bald dark of the pre-dawn sky that hung over O-Inari-sama's temple and the distant lights of the buildings beyond.

Haku shrank as Jae emerged from the shed tucked against the fence climbing the hill between the building and the temple complex. As if asleep on his feet the human thrust a broom at him, nearly striking him in the face,

"Here… S'your job t'sweep now…

The moment he took the broom the madman waved vaguely at the surroundings before spinning on his heel and jerking a heavily wheel of keys from his pocket.

"Hurry up 'fore t'delivery truck comes. The groceries comes right from Tsukiji Market so everything is fresh. S'our job to carry it all up and get it put away 'for Jean Paul comes. He's t'boss 'round here, got it?"

Jae fumbled with the lock without great success before finally succeeding. The human spilled inside like a drunkard, swearing loudly as metal crashed and clattered before light flooded through the frosted windows, filling the courtyard in warm milky bright.

Haku blinked before looking at the broom in hand.

Sweep; it was not a difficult task.

But as he turned his attention to the leaves on the icy stones Haku realized they went on and on. With a sinking sensation in his heart, he peered around the corner only to find more leaves piled on the cement walk under the eaves. Illuminated by the light of the bell shaped windows on the side of the building, they looked like they had not been touched in days. Beyond the covered walk was a wide deck surrounded by carefully pruned hedges and bowered by bare twisting vines. Delicate wrought iron tables and chairs were set up in neat rows. But they look abandoned and forgotten in the thick ice of new winter, half buried under piles of dry dead leaves.

More leaves waited for him out front thanks to the nodding elms and maples arching over the main entrance. But he paused; looking up for the front was not at all like the back. It looked strange and curvaceous to his eyes, not at all like the traditional Japanese architecture of the rear. A circular stair led up to a balcony at the building's left and a sign over the large windows above announced _Origa_ _Dance Studio._ Another sign hung above the ground level's vine-like wrought iron doors: the curling foreign characters read _Le Pichet_ even as a chipped red pitcher dangled beneath the plank.

Beyond the restaurant's the wide walk sloped down a gently swelling hill, leading off into the dark and eerily empty avenues of Ueno Park. With his back to the faint light filtering through the front windows, Haku stared at the unnerving still silence. As if palpable it gathered on the echoing roads, clotting between the bare trees. Movement darted between bushes, hopping between branches, and peering at him with beady black eyes. Haku shrank from them as it was just beyond the Kami hour. No red eyes glittered between the trees, but his pumping heart and the standing hair on the back of his neck sent his dart eyes seeking all the same. Apprehension sang in his veins like the distant humming bulbs pooling shadows on the main avenue beyond the trees.

But the gloom fled as pink light bathed him from above.

Chouchin drifted down only to float curiously by the building's windows, bobbing as she peered inside with the bright white licking tongue of her wick. Ignoring her though he was glad for her company, Haku tried to sweep the leaves from the walk only to find they were heavy with frozen dew. All too soon his bare hands were sweating and the rough haft of the broom chafed his soft palms. Frustrated, he roughly set aside his broom and glowered at the leaves. There were just too many. Cagily glancing from side to side and finding no one, Haku drew in a deep breath.

This he held, letting it build inside his lungs. A gentle wind clambered up around his feet, tousling his hair in anticipation as he reached the point where he could no longer contain the gale inside him. Planting his feet wide and routing himself firmly, this Haku blew and focused between his pinched fingers. Spilling forth from his lips, he poured the gale over the walkway like a deluge.

Fingers of wind scoured the pavement; peeling back frost and leaves from cement and between the garden plants. As his lung emptied, Haku drew in a long even breath, reaching with his hand snow. With agile fingers he caught and pulled the wind back to him, circling his arms, guiding the breeze back and forth with in arcing movements that sent the elder trees swaying and creaking overhead. Sputtering in surprise, Chouchin was caught up and eddied between the trunks. At once pink with delight, she darted to the fore of the wind as it surged along side of the building, sweeping across the deck and around the corner in a wave of hissing scuttling leaves.

Haku followed on fleet feet, darting out into the center of the courtyard as he tugged and hauled whirling leaves around him, stepping back while slowly soothing and quelling the whirlpool into stillness. As it abated, circling up into the sky, the wind left in its wake an enormous pile of leaves and a giddily spinning Chouchin. Grinning in spite of himself, Haku fetched the broom and returned it to the shed. Once again shy, more than unsure about whether he was to remove his shoes or not. Haku left them on, blinking rapidly as he stepped through the wall of bright into another world.

He had thought Onsen's kitchen to be a miracle.

But never before had he seen such a place as this.

White and black tiles coated the floor and walls, making the wide room gleam like the opalescent scales of an enormous fish. Beneath the gigantic hood of turning fans workstations were wreathed in flashing chrome as stoves, ovens, and burned black ranges stood in lines like stalwart soldiers ready for battle. Kettles, skillets, pots, and pans hung on hooks until the air over the stations swam with dented gleaming copper. Knifes arranged themselves in thick wooden blocks as enormous wooden spoons and forks stood to attention in organizing jars as if ready for work. At the opposite side of the kitchen perfectly placed to usher traffic around the work area, was a pair of red velvet swinging doors studded with smart brass tacks. Beside them was a huge chrome vault yawned open, extruding humming cold and offering him a view of every manner of vegetable, herb and meat he could think of. Next was an equally cavernous pantry that tucked away behinds plate glass shelves full of creamy white ceramic plates, bowls, ramekins, casseroles and every other means of dish or cup that filled the cabinets from floor to ceiling. A dizzying array of silverware gleamed gold in sorting flats atop a massive table.

Beyond these, beneath a brick arch in a cave-like grotto that seemed to jut away from the rest of the kitchen, was the dish station. Fitted with black rubber mats and clambered with sinks so large he could have bathed in them. Bottles of soap and scrubbing implements arranged above the black hoses finished by dangerous looking spray nozzles. And he knew upon seeing that this was to be his place. Wash dishes: it seemed a simple enough task. But as Haku flashes his eyes over the foreign world that was this kitchen, he was no longer so sure.

A sound of snoring pulled him forward around to the station closest to the red velvet doors. Now dressed in checked pants that matched the tiles of the room and a white buttoned jacket, Jae was fast asleep. Listing backwards in a chair beside one of the work stations, he was about to loose the smartly starched hat tipping from his head. Darting forward, Haku caught it with the tip of his finger and gingerly urged it back to a skewed perch on the madman's brow. Beyond him, sitting on a bright blue flame, was a strange cylindrical kettle releasing a beguiling savory smell Haku could not place. He jerked back with a gasp it released a steamy hiss.

"Hah!?" The human uttered a truncated snort as he jerked upright.

"Jae," Haku pointed at the stove, "The, uh, kettle _speaks_ …"

It hissed again, beginning to boil over a thick brown frothy brew.

" _Shit, shit, shit!"_

In a blink the human was on his feet at the stove. Turned a red dial with deft fingers, the fire extinguished as he spun on his heel, at the china cabinet in two long strides. As the human was gone, he frowned curiously at the stove only to shrink as like some kind of magician Jae returned. In one hand he held two ridiculously tiny cups while the other perfectly balanced tower of materials in a copper skillet. A loaf of crusty bread jutted above a carton of eggs beside a carafe of some kind of creamy liquid, while butter, herbs, salted meat, and cheese stacked higher and higher.

As if used to carrying precarious loads, these he deposited on the cold side of the range with dexterous ease, picking up the still steaming pot through it must have been terribly hot. With the utmost care he poured the black syrup from within into the tiny cups. Haku watched in utter fascination as the human put a dollop of cream into his cup followed by a pinch of sweet smelling sugar conjured by spoon from an adjacent pot. This he finished with a tap of spice plucked from the many jars arranged on the shelf above the range. Taking up the ridiculously tiny cup, Jae cradled it in his fingers just beneath his nose and breathed in the heady aroma, grinning widely as he imbibed a tiny slurping sip only to sag in delight. Straightening from his private moment and looking away as if embarrassed, Jae poured a second cup.

"How d'you like your espresso, man?"

Haku blinked, "W-what is espresso?"

The human rounded on him with such a sober scandalized expression Haku did not know what to think.

"What fuckin' rock have you been livin' under!?"

"I-Izu?"

It was the human's turn to blink.

"Where t'fuck's that?"

Again his foul language was shocking.

"S-south," Haku stammered.

"Must be bum-fuck nowhere, eh?" Jae snorted as he went about fixing the second cup as he had his own, "I'm from the Korea stix an' we've had espresso for ages. Can't turn a corner here in Toyko without runnin' into a fuckin' Starbucks. You're in for a real treat. _Bam!_ "

With that he tapped a spray of cinnamon smelling spice onto the surface of the caramel colored brew before thrusting the cup into Haku's face much like he had the broom. He was hard pressed not to accept it. Jae watched expectantly he brought the tiny cup to his lips and sipped tentatively only to be surprised. It was delicious! Hot and savory, bitter-sweet and strongly sustaining unlike any cup of tea he had enjoyed. He blinked as it sent a strange fluttering sensation swept through his eyes only to jitter inside his veins. Jae grinned as Haku continued blinking rapidly.

"That's t'caffeine. Welcome t'the coffee junkie club, man!"

With that he clapped him on the shoulder and turned to the other sundries. Fire woofed to like beneath the skillet and again Haku found himself watching in wonder as the human summoned a meal before his very eyes. Moving as if dancing, all his skilled motions were expert as if he had done this a thousand times before. Eggs meat and cheese transformed into a herb laced omelet as the fluffy bread toasted to perfection on the bare tines of the range. These Jae spread with butter before foisting them off on him.

"For t'love of Christ, eat somethin', man! You're _crazy_ fuckin' skinny!"

Gladly Haku obeyed, taking a plate and fork without question as Jae served him half the omelet. Oh, the food was so very good; rich with creamy flavors.

"This," he hushed in awe around a third and fourth bite of bread, eggs, cheese and ham, "I have never tasted its like!"

Jae grinned widely, "French food's t'shit, man."

Diffidently, Haku darted his eyes over the human's uniform, "You work here?"

"Damn straight! I'm the _sous_ (1) in this kitchen," he jabbed a thumb over his shoulder indiating the room, "Kenka and Shuta are _cuisiners_ (2) but they'd burn butter if I wasn't watchin'. Then there's Meg," he pulled a sour face, "She's the _Pâtissier_ (3) an' _man_ is she stuck up about it."

"How did you come to this?" Haku pressed curiously.

At once Jae was frowning as he slurped his espresso loudly, "Came t'dance with t'Tokyo Ballet. Boy was that a dumbshit idea."

Haku's fork paused on the plate, "You came to dance?"

Suddenly all the questions the human had poured over him in the park made sense.

"Yeah!?" Jae started up defensively, "What of it!?"

How quickly this human's mood could change! Hastily Haku turned away.

"A-apologies. I meant no offense."

"Man, you sure talk funny!" Jae snorted, at once back to good humor, "M'just used t'getting shit for wantin' t'dance."

Haku blinked in confusion. It was swiftly becoming habit.

"Why would any trouble you for wanting to dance?"

"'Cause it's totally _gay_!" Jae uttered a sour laugh.

"Omah's (4) t'one that got me into it. She got it from her mom. Halmeoni (5) was so good she got t'dance with the Tachibana Ballet Institute (6) back before the war. Went back to Korea during the war, but soon as reconstruction started Grandma brought mom over to the Ikuno Koreatown (7) so she could dance. But the _Korean_ war fucked things up for everyone including mom."

"She married Japanese an' stayed in Osaka but never gave up on dancin'. Mom an' grandma taught me everything I know and, _man_ , it sure pissed _t'hell_ outta my dad. I love it, don't get me wrong, but I think I did it mostly to piss him off."

Jae was grinning, chuckling to himself as he sopped at his eggs with his toast. Timidly Haku glanced at the human. Jae was such a strange creature and his vibrant moods, however dangerous, were somehow compelling. Haku found himself liking him in spite of his unbalanced deportment. At his heart this human was honest and generous. He did not need the broken glasses in his pocket to see that.

"Did you dance with the ballet you sought?" Haku began hesitantly, unsure of what exactly Ballet was.

"Sorta..."

Jae sniffed, at once brooding as he shoveled eggs into his mouth.

"Made it all the way t'auditions and man did I kill! None of those ram-rod prima's got any fire and it pissed them off that I beat them on their own floor. After I made the mark one of the blue-blood that didn't make it gave me shit for being Korean. I broke his face. They gave me the ax and the sticker for his med bills. How's that for karma, eh?"

Stunned, Haku could only stare. How terrible it must have been to work so hard and win only to loose all to pettiness. But then again, Haku did know what that felt like.

"I… I am sorry."

"Don't be. It was my fault an' I don't need your pity," Jae muttered, at once angry, "Eat your fuckin' food 'fore it gets cold."

Hastily Haku shoved the rest of his toast into his mouth as the human sighed.

"Sorry, man. Did Kana and Fuu get a chance t'tell you I'm kinda an asshole?"

"I am not bothered," He sipped his coffee, "You are nothing compared to Lin."

Jae laughed outright at that, "Who's that?"

He hesitated, but in the end it was true.

"She is my older sister."

"Is she cute?" Jae was grinning now.

"Yes," Haku cringed, at once red in the face, "But she is spoken for."

"Too bad. She sounds like my type."

Jae launched back into his story, scooting the last eggs onto Haku's plate.

"It wasn't right for me anyway, the National Ballet, but at the time I didn't know it. I was so bound up in what I'd lost. I couldn't bring that shame back home so I stayed in Tokyo. Got drunk an' broke an' ended up pretty much in the same shed as you. Been here ever since."

As Jae began eating with gusto, Haku stared at his plate until the question slipped out in a whisper almost against his will.

"Why did she take me in?"

"Sensei? That's what she does," Jae swallowed loudly, "How t'hell d'you think any of us got this gig, eh? S'impossible t'get in't any kitchen in Tokyo let alone ah _French_ kitchen. Who t'hell d'you think talked Origa in t'givin' the studio for free? She _wants_ us to dance, man! Honestly, that's all she wants. So don't fuck this up, eh? Work hard for her or I'll kick your fuckin' ass!"

Haku shrank from the finger Jae pointed in his face, having a difficult time fathoming such generosity.

"But I am a stranger. I could be insane. I could bring trouble."

Jae snorted, dismissively tossing the hand he threatened with a moment prior.

"Like I'm not nuts or a pain in the ass? Besides, man, you shoulda seen her face when she watched you dance. I haven't seen that much awe on her since Jean Paul brought Iron Chef Hiroyuki Sakai home for diner."

Again the human was looking at him with such consideration.

"Although I gotta say I wasn't lookin' at you any different. Man, I can't wait t'get you into t'studio so I can get at your moves."

At once he was pointing at the roof.

"Origa's gonna put you on the coals tonight but don't let that put you out. She's not as much of a bitch as she lets on. We'll have t'take you out after t'celebrate." At once his eyes narrowed suspiciously as his voice grew dangerous, "Don't fuckin' tell me you've never had Korean BBQ."

To save himself Haku dove into his espresso cup, nursing the last delicious dregs.

Then Jae's head whipped round to the back door as distantly a horn honked.

"Shit, that's the grocer. C'mon, man, we've got a lot o' shit t'haul up the hill."

On his feet the human was already striding out the back door. Haku hastily gathered the plates and pans, bringing them to the sink as Jae's incredulous voice boomed with obscenities from the back courtyard.

" _Holy shit_ , man! How _t'fuck_ did you rake up all these leaves!? They've been piled up since they dropped in _fuckin'_ October!"

* * *

 **Notes:**

 _Sous-chef_ literally means, under chef. They receive orders directly from the _chef de cuisine_ , or the head chef, and are responsible for the management of the kitchen. They often represents the chef de cuisine when he/she is not present. –Wikipedia.

 _Cuisiner_ literally means cook. They independently prepare specific dishes in a station. –Wikipedia.

 _Pâtissier_ prepare desserts and other meal end sweets and for location without a boulanger also prepares breads and other baked items. They may also prepare pasta for the restaurant. –Wikipedia.

Omah means mom in Korean.

Halmeoni means grandma in Korean.

Akiko Tachibana and her daughter Asami Maki founded some of the first ballet studios in Japan. Its original organization was established as Tachibana Ballet Institute in 1933. But in 1956, it was renamed the Asami Maki Ballet Tokyo. Today the Asami Maki Tokyo Ballet is a leading ballet company of Japan.

The Korean enclave in the city of Osaka, numbering over 90,000, is by far the largest in Japan, concentrated in the Ikuno Ward, where 25% of the inhabitants are of Korean origin. The total Korean population in Osaka prefecture amounted to 150,000 in 2002.

-Wikipedia


	23. Chapter 23

**HAKU**

Haku found himself rooted at the base of the circular stairs in front of Le Pichet.

The late afternoon sunlight poured over his back warmth he did not feel.

Lifting his eyes, he stared in dread at the dance studio's brightly lit windows.

Beneath it the restaurant was dark. It kept short hours, open only from 10 until four Monday thru Thursday. But humans thronged through the door when it was open. He had only just finished cleaning, and though the day had already dissolved into steam, soap, and hot water, Haku longed for more dirty dishes, anything to keep him from the top of those stairs.

He shifted uneasily only to be reminded how his entire body ached, especially his back and shoulders. Never had he worked so hard in his entire life. Arms immersed in hot water to the elbow, he had spent the whole day scrubbing. He worked his way through grease stained tureens, charcoal encrusted casseroles, and chipped heartily at crystallized sugar. Now his hands were red and raw from the harsh soap.

Dressed in white shirts, black ties, and terribly short black skirts, Kana and Fuu ferried platter after platter of dirty dishes to his station. He dare not look save for mumbled thanks, just as he dare not look over his shoulder. Behind him Jae, Shouta, Kenka, and Megumi, all dressed in matching uniforms, performed the human magic known as cooking. Back and forth through the velvet door Kana and Fuu retrieved orders and carried them to the dining room. And Haku dare not look as because behind him chaos ruled in hot plumes of blue fire and clattering, sometimes shattering, cookware. Harshly shouted orders wove through these sounds to make such a terrible din. Afraid to upset its balance Haku kept silent.

Over bedlam reigned its champion: Chef Jean Paul Francois Batiste Claret. He was quite possibly the fattest creature Haku had ever seen, fatter even than Yubaba's son. Huge in height, girth, and lung for he could yell as he had never before heard! Though never truly bad-tempered as he was always laughing, sending his pendulous gut quaking as if he had become a Buddha. He spoke perfect Japanese, and his barks held little bite unless truly his ire had been rise. Then such a booming thunderstorm of French obscenities would flood the kitchen until it was miraculous milk did not curdle and eggs did not boil in their shells. No wonder Jae's language was so foul.

Chef Jean Paul had only sniffed at him by way of introduction.

"He is far too skinny!"

With that the fat man waved him off without another word.

Thinking he had offended the man somehow, Haku turned wide eyes to Jae appealing for explanation. But the strange human only grinned, giving him two vigorous thumbs up, once again convincing Haku that the human was mad. But the day had ended well. Chef Jean Paul clapped him hard on the back as he carried out the trash, making ready to mop as everyone else ate a closing meal. And the Frenchman boomed his parting words for the whole kitchen to hear before pressing a modest fold of bills into his hand. Still, it looked like a fortune to one who had nothing in his pockets.

"Bon travail, petit chou! Bon travail!"

It meant good work, although why the chef had called him a little cabbage Haku was not sure. Pulled from the mire of his thoughts, Haku glanced up as Fuu appeared at the dance studio's glass window wearing clinging pinks and peaches as she had the night before. Her face lit up as she saw him. At once she was waving. Haku felt his knees begin to quake as shyly he waved back. Kana appeared beside her as the little female beckoned, pointing down at him. Wilting, her friend waved briefly before pulling her from the window against her will.

"You're blocking the way."

Haku startled aside, whirling to find Megumi standing behind him.

She was _Le Pichet_ 's pastry chef. Beside the breads and scones he had devoured at lunch, she created custards, parfaits, and layered cake so lovely Haku could not fathom how anyone could bring themselves to eat such beautiful food. Carrying a duffle bag that looked brand new, she was dressed in an expensive looking peacock wool coat that made her pale skin look like porcelain in the waning light. Of medium height, she had Origa's long limbed leanness but somehow managed to retain a willowy softness. But her brown eyes were hard as stone beneath the straight edge of her bangs.

She stared at him with open animosity. They had not spoken a single word all day and Haku searched his memory to try and discover how he could have slighted her. Her cold eyes swept over him and went heavy with disapproval as again her sharp words plumed white in the frosty air.

"Tell me you're not wearing _that_ …"

At once red in the face, Haku looked down as his clothes. He wore his gray thermal and Chihiro's father's pants. They were far too large and only stayed on thanks to the rope belt tied tight to his hips. Unfortunately everything else he owned was still wet from work, hung up in his apartment to dry.

"This is all I have," he replied diffidently.

"Get yourself some real dance wear and at least look the part. It's embarrassing enough having a bum in our studio."

With that Megumi breezed by; flowing up the stairs as if she weighted nothing. Stunned by her cruelty and burning with shame, Haku would have turned and fled back to his apartment had Shouta and Kenka not crept around the side passage. They hurried forward arm in arm, making it clear that they had listened in on everything as they looked between him and the balcony.

"Dude, what a _bitch!_ " Kenka hushed into his hand as if scandalized, dividing a cloud a white around his fingers.

"Don't let her get to you," Shouta hissed beneath his breath as if afraid Megumi might be listening, "She's just pissed because Jae couldn't stop raving about you and she likes to be the best at everything."

"You and I are about the same size," The taller human patted his duffle back with an encouraging smile, "I've got a spare pair of pants you can borrow. Don't say no, dude, they're new, clean, and you really can't dance in the ones you're wearing."

As his cheeks grew hotter and hotter under their enthusiasm, Haku dropped his eyes and stammered, "T-thank you…"

"He speaks! We were beginning to wonder if you understood Japanese," The littler human grinned, "Sorry we didn't say hi earlier at work. Its all business in Chef Jean Paul's kitchen. I'm Shouta, by the way. This is my partner Kenka."

"Yo!" Kenka grinned as he threw up his hand as if affirming he was present.

"I am Kou." He bowed shyly, "I am please to meet you both."

"Ha! You're so funny, Kou!" Shouta playfully pushed his shoulder, "You talk like the folks in my historical dramas!"

Haku blinked as he looked them over anew, because these were not at all the humans that he had seen in the kitchen earlier. Whereas at work they had been distant, almost avoiding contact, now they hung from each other as if afraid to be parted. And Haku found it hard not to stare at Kenka's unusual hair. It was terribly short save for the front, which was frosted white and forced to stand on end with chemicals. The lean human wore a violently orange quilted coat that looked like it had been inflated with air and carried an equally bright green duffle bag.

The laces in his high topped shoes were rainbow colored like the beads on the necklace hanging around Shouta's neck. The little male was far more subdued, wearing pale blue and black. His hair was longer and pulled back into a pony tail that revealed his fine, almost feminine features. Haku stared at the stretchy tie in the human's hair enviously. He had no idea where to procure such things. And his increasingly long hair was such a mess, constantly getting into his face.

"Dude! It is so cold!" Kenka shivered, "Can we go up already?"

"C'mon, Kou. Don't be shy."

Shouta relinquished the taller male and grabbed Haku's arm, tugging him up the stairs to the second story dance studio. Lilting wordless music filtered from within thanks to the large windows and Haku was offered a clear look at the interior. The bare polished wood floor gleamed in the bright overhead lights and the opposite wall was nothing but tall mirrors. These lifted high up onto the vaulted ceiling which was cut through by skylights. In the back corner was a small kitchen and a sitting area cordoned off by couches ringing a low table. Jae was flopped on one of the sofas with a barefooted leg thrown over the back. Haku could already hear him snoring. Dressed in red, he was wearing the same tight yet stretchy clothing as Kana and Fuu. To the left of the couches was an office. Through the blinds shading the window Origa was seated at a table looking at a glowing monitor. Her back was to the studio and the door closed.

"Hi!" Shouta sang as the little human dragged him through the door followed shortly by Kenka, "Look who we found."

A wall of warmth hit Haku in the face as the interior was sweltering. Although already his face was warm with shyness as all eyes turned on him. Kenka and Shouta began removing their outer layers, hanging coats, hats, and mufflers on the already choked hooks by the door. Haku had nothing to hang as he had not far to go.

"Hi, Kou!" Fuu waved excitedly from the bar, not even pausing as she lifted her right leg high in the air. Haku was impressed by her flexibility, "You did really great today! Thanks so much for washing those extra plates for me."

"Hello, Fuu. Hello, Kana." He dropped his eyes and offered each a prim bow.

The reedy woman blinked, going a bit pink in the cheeks as if she had not expected his greeting.

"H-hey."

She waved and in doing so lost her balance for a moment before turning with renewed concentration to her movements.

"What, no love for me?" Kenka feigned a pout, "I cooked all day for you."

"You already know I love you, Kenny," Fuu winked as slowly she drew her leg down with calm concentration before transforming to a child, waving and jumping in excitement.

"Neh, neh, neh! Guess what!? There's gonna be a book signing tomorrow night at the Kinokuniya in Shinjuku. Kana won't go!"

She pulled a sour moue as she glanced back at her friend. Kana's face was pinched with both concentration and exasperation as she continued to practice the strangely staged steps.

"Jeez, is it so awful I don't like kids books!?"

"No shit!?" Shouta was suddenly excited as he dropped his bag at Haku's feet, "Chihiro's doing a book signing!? She hasn't done one in ages!"

Haku jolted at the name. If only for a moment it was as if he ceased to exist in this world. All around him the humans continued their plans. And Haku stood among them feeling not for the first time like he did not belong.

"Yeah, it's, like, a _totally_ big thing for the release of the new edition," Fuu effused, "There's gonna be cosplay and they're gonna show the movie too. Go with me, please, please, please?"

"Hells yeah, I'll go!" Shouta had stars in his eyes to match Fuu's, "I might even coslay!"

"Oi," Jae suddenly started up from the couch corner, not even bothering to move, "I was gonna take Kou out t'Korean BBQ after studio tonight. Isn't that awesome home cook place in Aoyama open late?"

Kenka pulled a small device from his pocket and poked rapidly at its face.

"Dude, its totally open late."

"BBQ?" Fuu whirled with huge eyes, "I love Korean BBQ."

"Make us a reservation..." Jae still had not gotten up.

" _Oui, chef!"_ Kenka drawled sarcastically, already putting the device to his ear.

"At least come eat with us tonight, Kana." Shouta wheedled, "Please?"

"Fine!" She gave up on the bar and crossed her arms, "But I'm not gonna stay out late. You guys always get drunk and we've gotta work tomorrow, remember?"

"Jean Paul comes in drunk all the time."

Jae waved a dismissive hand over the back of the couch.

"Some of us still have professional standards," Kana shot back hotly.

"Get a room, you two! I can't hear the waitress!" Kenka huffed as he turned away, "Ah! Moshi-moshi?"(1)

After the tall human hastily finished his conversation he grabbed Haku's arm, pulling him down the hall to the right of the kitchen. At a loss he followed meekly. Running the length of the studio behind the mirror wall was a divided locker room that reminded Haku of Onsen's bath wing. Tiled pastel blue and pink respectively, there were men's and women's sides and showers at the back. Before they could duck to the left Megumi flowed out of the woman's doorway dressed in very, very little.

Haku was not sure if the teal colored limbless garment even counted as clothing as it scooped low and left nothing to the imagination! It would have been tolerable if she wore the baggy pants Fuu and Kana favored, but her legs were clad in skin colored stretchy material that clung to every curve. Immediately Haku threw his eyes aside and he almost ran into the opposite wall.

"Excuse us, princess!" Kenka drawled as he shoved Haku by.

Megumi did not so much as glance at them as she passed. Haku only looked up after they were safely inside the locker room's interior. He paced awkwardly, glancing around as Kenka plopped to a seat on the bench and unzipped his bag, routing around and pulling free a folded pair of pants.

"Keep them," he held them out, "I dunno why I bought white ones. I hate white."

Haku accepted them only to glance back at the door as Shouta came in already taking off clothes. Abruptly he spun around and went to the opposite side of the room as the little human laughed at him, continuing to disrobe.

"You are _so_ cute, Kou! Are you shy?"

"P-perhaps," he stammered diffidently, busying himself with opening a locker and taking off his shoes.

"Stop teasing," Kenka cut in gently, "He's having a hard enough time with Meg."

"Jealous?" Shouta paused coyly while opening his bag.

"No. Not yet, anyways. See you out there."

He had already changed into a brilliantly orange outfit. Grinned, Kenka planted a kiss on top of the little human's head. Closing his locker he was out the door. Shouta changed quickly into more blue so he could follow with a worried frown.

"Kenka, I was only being friendly. Kenka?"

Once the males were gone he exchanged his pants for the borrowed garment, shivering as the strangely silky material whispered against his skin. Dreading every step, Haku crept around the corner and peered out into the studio only to find the rest of the humans clustered in the far corner sitting in a semi-circle at Origa's feet. The dance mistress had emerged from her office and Haku fell perfectly still as beyond her, sitting in a chair at the back of the room in a place of honor, he caught sight of Hitomi. Shock poured through him as the aged human saw him as if always knowing he was there.

"Welcome, Kou," She beckoned, "I am please to see you well."

He bowed. "T-thank you, Hitomi-san."

"So polite!" Origa uttered a short laugh, "How rare."

Mirth lightened her usually pinched features. As Megumi rolled her eyes and Jae deliberately elbowed her, pawning it off as an accident. Instantly Origa's features sharpened into a tart frown that she shot back at her seated students. Straightening, she stood tall, tossing her chin and motioned to the empty floor between them.

"Thanks to Miss Kazue's generous support I teach ballet to little ones during the day, but at night and for you this studio is different. We study all dances here; and I do not teach I merely guide. You will find that each of your peers is strong in an area you are not. We rotate. Some nights you learn. Some nights you teach. Regardless, whatever goals you seek to achieve are yours alone to set. But tonight is different. Tonight we learn your strengths, Kou. Tonight you dance for us."

Haku's insides tightened with frigid fear as that sunk in.

"I… I see."

It was all he could think to say.

"Before you must tell us a bit of yourself. Where have you studied before? What styles do you favor?"

Dropping his eyes, Haku struggled to think of something to tell them and came up again with nothing but the truth. Though he had managed a few as of recent, lying just was not within his ability!

"I… I danced with my sister Okesa. She is traditional and prefers, ah, fans... I wish I thought to bring them. They are quite beautiful."

"Is that so?" Origa forced a smile. A line was forming between her brows as hastily she changes the subject, "But have you danced at any studios?"

Already he could feel heat climbing into his face.

"No."

She was obviously disappointed. And the humans were glancing at each other uncertainly, not expecting this answer. From beneath the veil of his hair Haku saw Megumi draw on a smug smile that left him shamed. But Jae and Hitomi seemed to care less that the others thought. They were waiting with barely disguised anticipation as Origa glided to the side of the room on long legged strides, motioning to a black box blinking with lights and dials.

"Would you like music?"

"No," He shook his head, "It is not necessary."

Origa blinked and seemed about to contradict him, then she sat in front of the humans, folding her long legs. And he wished that he had through to bring Okesa's fans because he felt naked and unsure before their eyes. Bowed and hugging his arms, he came forward with wooden steps only to pause in the middle of the space. Megumi snorted dismissively as she looked him up and down. Fuu and Kana shot her nasty glance in perfect unison. As they did Haku's pride stirred deep in his gut and he drew his lips into a thin line.

Because the haughty female had no idea.

None of them did.

And he would show them that dance was not something he needed to learn.

Taking a deep breath Haku lowered his arms as let himself uncoiled, sinking low over his spreading feet. From the corner of his eyes he watched a pinch form between Megumi's eyes as she sensed the change in him. Already Haku could feel the lingering magic in his blood rushing through his veins, bringing a calm he had not felt in a long time. Lifting his eyes he saw past the humans through the glass window that the sun was setting.

It broke through the tree line in a flash of fire.

Effervescent red spilled through the windows.

It poured over him, spilling across the wood floors.

At once he struck out to catch the light with his hands.

The humans jolted at the swiftness of his movement, even Origa. If only for a moment he saw them believe he had actually caught it. Awe struck their faces as they leaned towards him, struggling to see if the sun was indeed in his hands. And Haku bent beneath its weight, swaying and yearning to keep that which would not be kept before as if in agony he tossed it high. He leapt with the light, whirling and turning before landing lightly, so lightly his feet barely touched the ground as he chased it round the room, catching again, falling forward and offering it out even as the embers faded from the sky, dying in his hands as he spread his palms to the parting of night and letting them fall to their death. Such silent stillness followed the wake of his pause.

And he had them in his spell.

With wide eyes they stared as if mesmerized.

And if only for a moment he let them see what he had once been.

Haku needed no music as he flowed backwards to his feet, lifting off the ground in a single unbroken movement, pacing a slow solemn tempo before whirling and grasping in sorrow at the nothing left in the lights passing. The movements of his body were music enough to tell the story of loss. Such had been the language of the Gods even before there were words to speak. The humans did not need to know that Chihiro was his sun. They did not need to know how he had lost her. But all the same they knew his pain as he fled from it. Even as he ran from night, almost dashing himself on the walls, Haku banked at the last moment, trapped and stirring with him a wind that drove him round and round until he coiled at the center of the room, then jumped.

High he leapt, as if he could fly again.

High, as if he could escape his suffering.

And if only for a moment he believed he could fly again and found himself reaching for the indigo blue beyond the skylight. For a moment that stretched longer and longer it felt like he might continue out that window and startled hope bloomed in his heart only to disintegrate as finally gravity, like reality, found its hold. Truth dragged him down for he could not longer fly. He was human after all.

And instead he fell.

Down he crashed, landing so hard the floor shook. Haku broke against the ground like water, spilling out into stillness. And the sky beyond the windows was dark when he finally sat up, wincing as he was reminded that his shoulders hurt, breathing heavily and feeling a pinched burn in his legs as sweat trickled down his back. But the silence he had conjured remained and he could not bring himself to look for he had revealed much without intending to.

Finally the quiet broke as Kenka murmured in a stunned voice.

" _Dude…!"_

Jae snorted wryly, "No, shit!"

" _Language!"_ Origa snapped before her heavy attention wheeled back to Haku, "You say you have never studied in a studio?"

Glancing up he found that she had risen onto hands and knees, leaning towards him with such a light in her eyes he did not know what to think.

"I have danced at matsuri… Is that of regard?"

Bewildered, she sat back onto her heels only to flinch as behind her Hitomi spoke in Russian. The aged woman was smiling with satisfaction.

"I told you so, сестра."

At once Origa recovered.

She rose to her feet, clapped twice and tossed her chin.

"We are done for tonight. You may go."

* * *

 **CHIHIRO**

Resting her cheek against the cold glass, Chihiro sighed.

The snow that'd blanketed Tokyo two days ago had entirely melted. Even through it was only Thursday, people crawled the streets outside the car window's Aoyama's Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium. She'd never been one for field sports so its immaculately manicured green fields looked somewhat out of place in the middle of winter. But they retreated, falling away into high rises and shops as the car turned north onto for Shinjuku. All trains lead to Shinjuku anyway, so it wouldn't a five minute ride from any of the Metro stations circling her house. She could've even walked, but Lydia insisted on picking her up. But she had a 5 PM meeting at Kinokuniya to prep for the book signing events tomorrow and Lydia didn't want any chance of her being late. And in a way she was glad because traffic was awful!

For once Chihiro wasn't nervous.

She was too preoccupied by other things.

Michi still hadn't come home. She hadn't returned any of Chihiro texts.

Again she sighed, turning her mind to business to keep from tearing up.

Gods, it was going to be a zoo. As if the author's talk and obligatory Q&A wasn't enough, there was going to be a cosplay competition and a film screening. And it took her a while to figure out the reason for Kataama's enthusiasm for the auxiliary events he'd scheduled for the new editions release part. It was, of course, because they would create substantial subsidiary profits. Ugh, all that man thought about was money.

Lydia glanced at her furtively as again she sighed gustily.

Her personal assistant was dressed in an unusual charcoal gray today; though her silk shirt was of course purple. But the suit made her seem older and more capable, which is why Chihiro had taken fashion cues from Lydia when she'd flushed out her professional wardrobe. Chihiro immediately noticed the change in the way people treated her as soon as she started wearing suits and heels. They took her serious when she wasn't wearing a pony tail and sneakers. They talked to her instead of Kataama when she wore make-up, pinned up her hair, and looked people straight in the eye.

It was so very nice to be taken seriously.

"You're making it really hard for me not to be meddlesome, Chihiro." Lydia commented mildly as they came to a stop at a light.

"Sorry… I'm in a bit of a funk today," Abruptly Chihiro changed the subject, "Did you sent that package I gave you?"

"I sent it on Monday via priority mail," completely unruffled she explained smoothly white making a left turn through tight traffic, "It arrived in Kumomi yesterday."

"Oh," Chihiro blinked, "S-sorry, I didn't realize the week'd gone by so quickly."

She smoothed her black pencil skirt, pulling at the cuffs of her striped blouse so they peeked from the cuffs of her sharply tailored blazer. Then she lifted her hand to the shell. It was warm against her skin and she fiddled with it nervously.

"How's the Onsen doing, by the way? Business wise, that is."

"It's producing a sound profit," Lydia leaned over the wheel so she could peer through traffic before punching the gas and accelerating rapidly, "Your accountant wanted me to tell you he's impressed by whoever's keeping the books."

"Um… Who is keeping the books?"

"I," Lydia paused with a frown, "I don't know anymore. But I'll find out."

Chihiro had a hard time not grinning. Lydia didn't like not knowing things.

"Don't worry about it," she smiled, knowing full well her personal assistant wouldn't give it up until she did find out.

"I have some shopping I need to do so I'll be in the area. Call me when you're ready to be picked up, alright? Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?"

"It's just a rehearsal meeting, Lydia," she tried not to be exasperated, flashing a teasing grin, "I am capable of taking notes for myself, you know."

Lydia snorted, fighting a smile, "I never said that."

But for a moment her smile fell as she slowed the car, dipping into a drop off point. Blinking, Chihiro craned her neck to look out the window and found Shinjuku hanging over them in a rainbow of humming electric clouds. As she hastily snatched her purse and briefcase off the back seat Lydia's thoughtful tone brought her up short.

"Don't take this the wrong way, Chihiro. You are my boss after all, and it's not my place to say these things, but I _have_ known you for almost twelve years now. You've matured a lot recently, so much I hardly recognize you anymore. I'm wondering if you still need me around."

Chihiro blinked rapidly as her insides went perfectly still. Glancing over her shoulder she found her personal assistant still holding the steering wheel and gazing straight ahead.

"Are you kidding me?" Chihiro hushed as if scandalized, "I can't even spell my name without you!"

Lydia snorted, "Give yourself some credit. And don't forget your phone."

Her dark eyes were laughing behind her square glasses as she held out the cell phone Chihiro'd almost left on the front dashboard.

* * *

 **HAKU**

Kenka laughed explosively as Shouta whispered something in his ear.

Kana complained about diner to the tiny gadget she held to her ear.

Fuu was staring in awe at the whirring fan overhead.

Megumi had not come with them.

Jae was busy with the grill.

And Haku watched the humans, captivated by their oblivious simplicity.

Much to his relief the humans had changed back into their street clothes without comment, ushering him along to the Ueno subway station in a loudly giggling, laughing, arguing herd. And as they emerged somewhere far away, Haku gaped up at the blinking cacophony of mesmerizing lights hanging in electric clouds over the narrow wire tangled streets of Shinjuku station. Red, greens, blues and yellows assaulted him from all sides, blinking him utterly. And gladly he let Fuu take his hand, following her closely as she pulled him through body choked avenues until he could smell the sweet savory stink of burning wood and cooking meat.

The restaurant was not what he expected as if was full of old world appeal.

At once he felt more at ease.

Each of the dining areas was tucked away into its own private room complete with low table and a recessed grill. Around this they piled onto shabby cushions as if they were already friends. The hostess, a motherly woman in a bulging kimono with too much eye shadow, brought them an obscene amount of food and platter after platter of raw meat currently searing on the grill. She returned again and again with drinks. Already feeling somehow tipsy, Haku had to hide his glass from Shouta as the tiny human would not stop filling it.

Jae immediately took charge of cooking. The human poked the sizzling short ribs from time to time before sagely shaking his head with a frown as if was still not quite ready. Hopefully Haku glanced between the Jae and the grill, finding himself salivating as the meat continued to char. Luckily there were many snacks and side dishes to choose from and Fuu seemed only too happy to feed him.

"Try this one!" She held up a piece of withered red cabbage with her chopsticks.

He blinked at it half cross-eyed, "What is it?"

"Dunno, but try it!" She beamed.

Haku accepted the morsel, chewing experimentally before the heat hit him.

"Hot!" He exclaimed, fanning his face because it was terribly spicy, "It is hot!"

"I'll call you back," Kana slapped the gadget closed and rounded on Fuu in full fury, "What did you give him!?"

"Dunno…" The little human stared at a loss at the bowls, "There are so many."

"Dude! Dude, eat some rice!"

Kenka foisted a bowl into his hands and Haku shoveled some into his mouth. It helped, but only a little.

"Get him a drink!"

Shouta offered his beer and Haku downed the whole thing. All the while Jae was laughing at him, laughing so hard he began crying.

"What!? Don't like kimchee?" Jae waved at everyone as he began piling the finally cooked meat onto their plates, "Okay, okay, okay! All of you, shut t'fuck up."

The human half stood over the low table as he tried to get their attention, almost falling forward onto the hissing grill. In spite of his burning tongue Haku caught him by his belt and hauled him to a seat. The human folded up beside him with a hiccup then patted him on the shoulder.

"Thanks, Kou."

Haku blinked. Was he already drunk!? Here Jae cleared his throat, grabbing one of the cooking tongs and speaking into for some reason Haku could not fathom.

"As I was saying, it's now time to play _'Grill the new guy!'_ Riddle me this, Kou! Can you speak Russian!?"

At once Jae thrust the tongs in his face and Haku choked on the meat he had just put in his mouth, suddenly finding everyone staring at him. Shrinking from them and swallowing with difficulty, he panicked and told the truth.

"Y-yes."

"Holy shit, _really_!?" Jae blinked at him with too close scrutiny, "I thought so 'cause you look at Origa an' Sensei like you know what they're saying when they tall all that foreign crap. Neh, can you help me chat up this hot Russian chick who works at the Ueno Hard Rock café?"

Kana scoffed in disgust, "Jae, you are such a pig!"

"Me next!" Fuu snatched the tongs and pointed them at him as her eyes got perfectly round and somber, "Are… you… a… _ghost?!_ "

Haku slapped a hand over his mouth as he struggled not to laugh in her face.

"No." He soberly hushed between his fingers. Oh, she looked so terribly disappointed it nearly broke his heart and Haku appealed to the others.

"Really, must we play this game."

"Too late, my turn!" Shouta snatched the tongs from Fuu and pointed them at him as if they were somehow enchanted, "Where are you from?"

"Izu." Haku returned grudgingly.

Shouta circled his hand, obviously wanting more.

"Kumomi, Izu."

"Hey! I know where that is!" Fuu started up, "That's where…"

Kenka cut her off as he took the tongs, peering at him slyly.

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

Haku face went positively incandescent as suddenly both Fuu and Kana fell silent, busying themselves with eating. Grinning even wider now Kenka prodded him with the tongs and Haku snatched them away with a sharp frown.

"There is one I love."

"Really?" At once Fuu's eyes were full of stars and she half climbed into his lap in her earnest to ask him a flood of questions, "What's her name? Is she pretty? Does she dance? What's her favorite color? Can I meet her?"

Haku cringed as each punched a hole in his heart.

"Hey, it's my turn!" Kana was reaching for the tongs. "I haven't asked one yet!"

"E-excuse me…!" Haku choked as he dropped them onto the table.

He stood and melted past Jae, ignoring the human as he called after him.

"Kou! Hey, Kou, what's wrong, man!?"

At once he was drowning in the close press of the walls.

Blindly he fled through the winding halls struggling to breathe in the choking smell of smoke, burning flesh, and the shrill shriek of laughing voices. But he could find no way out and began to panic. Bright sparklers swam in front of his eyes, sending him crashing against the wall as at once the world spun inside his head.

At once hands had him.

They were pulling him, pushing him up stairs, spilling him outside.

Gravel crunched under his back as the frigid black sky yawned over his head.

"Breathe slow!" Kubi ordered him, "I said slow, _damnnit!_ "

Jolting away Haku's back slammed against the frozen wall of the stairwell. Dragging in long slow breaths that lifted from his lips in sprays of white; his grayed vision began to clear. They were high enough that no other building loomed over him, but the shifting lights of spilled over the edge of the roof in a kaleidoscope of colors. And with a sinking feeling he realized he had not imagined her.

At once sitting on the edge of the building across from smoking her pipe, Kubi was wearing a cowl necked dress of clingy green materials with a long side split that showed the knee high black boots she wore beneath. Her hair was drawn into a tight tail on top of her head, spilling like ink over her bare shoulders. Tonight, like her dress, she wore make-up of the contemporary style. Oh, the stink of it.

" _Go away, Kubi!"_ Haku hissed through his teeth as he struggled upright, using the wall to steady his rubbery.

Haku shrank as she stood slowly only to wince. And he frowned sharply as she limped to the opposite edge of the roof, ignoring him completely.

"You are limping."

"What if I am?"

As she peered over the edge colors from below caught on her pale face, turning her purple and then a green to match her clingy dress.

"What happened?" He pressed, growing worried now.

"If it's not dogs its spiders."

She flashed her black teeth but her smile was false. And Haku's insides tightened as he started forward in spite of himself.

"D-did they bite you?"

"Maybe…"

Her face fell as Kubi sat down on the edge of the building, but this time because it was obvious she could not longer stand. Against his better judgments he came to her, throwing an anxious glance over the ledge to the distant ground.

"I though you wanted me to go away?" She glanced up at him furtively.

"I have no time for games!" He shot back peevishly, "Where did they bite you?"

"We need to stop meeting on roofs, lover," She murmured coyly, "It makes you moody."

Throwing back her skirt she unzipped one of the boots, revealing the wicked bite just above her ankle. Again his insides contracted for it was oozing an all too familiar yellowy green.

"How long have you had this?"

"An hour or so."

She was so very offhand about the whole affair it set his teeth on edge! At once reaching inside his shirt, Haku withdrew the salt and the gourd for he felt no need to cry for Kubi's sake. He did not have to be gentle, she certainly had never been gentle with him, but cruelty was not in his nature.

"This will sting," he warned.

As he packed a pinch of salt over each bite Kubi hissed between her teeth, gripping his shoulder as she cringed into him. Turning to stone under her hands, numbed by the aversion he felt at the contact, Haku doused the wounds with camphor water before covering each with more salt and pressing them with his hands. And it was none of his affair. He should not ask. But the spiders were close to his new home and that they would sometimes take humans made Haku terribly afraid for his new friends.

"What do they want?" He demanded as he turned his face away from the cloying smell of her wisteria scent, "Tell me truthfully."

"Bozu's bell, but for very different reasons," she panted, "The spiders seek to free what the dogs seek to destroy."

Haku blinked, "Why not let the dogs have it then?"

"Because they believe they are right when they are both so very wrong."

Before he could ask what they were seeking, Haku realized the wounds had long since closed. Drawing back and doused them once more they were only scars. Returning the gourd and the salt to his folded tatter cloak, Haku withdrew a length of the rice rope and cut it with his teeth. This he tied around her ankle to break any lingering poison.

"Why are you helping me?" She hushed beneath her breath, sounding more than confused, "You can hardly stand to touch me."

"You broke my fever," he returned coldly, "Now we are even and I never want to see you again."

"It's not that easy," she returned in a low dangerous voice, "You saved my life."

Leaving her arm draped over his shoulder, Kubi leaned out over the edge, making him scramble to catch hold of her lest she fall.

" _What are you doing!?"_ He snarled furiously.

Her face turned blue in the shifting lights.

"She's down there."

"What are you talking about!?" He struggled to pull her up and failed, "Kubi, stop this at once!"

"Chihiro."

He went stock still and the name, staring as Kubi pointed below.

"She's lost something important. Maybe you can help her find it."

Cagily peering over the edge he saw only a sea of people.

"Where?!" He demanded, searching and searching, "I do not see her!"

At once Kubi caught him in her arms, bowling him backwards only to kiss him soundly, stealing his breath.

"Must I do everything for you, lover?" She murmured abruptly against his lips.

Then she dropped him.

As her heels crunched on the icy gravel next to his head he scrambling upright. Angrily wiping a hand over his mouth, Haku searched the rooftop with Hanoane in hand. But Kubi was already gone though the stink of her scent lingered.

* * *

 **Notes:**

(1) Moshi-moshi is the way Japanese answer the phone. Although it is given to mean hello, the kanji (申し申し) means " _I'm_ _going_ to tell you."


	24. Chapter 24

**CHIHIRO**

 _"Shit!"_ Chihiro sobbed beneath her breath, _"Shit, shit, shit!"_

On the verge of tears she circled and re-circled the same stretch of street with mounting panic. Scouring the ground, she earned strange looks from passersby. But there was nothing; absolutely nothing but trash and gum wrappers.

She'd been playing with the shell when she left Kinokuniya. It was a bad habit. She'd been pulling on it when she passed the delicious smells wafting out of the Korean BBQ restaraunt, pausing for a strange moment to look at the shop not knowing why. And somewhere between the beginning and end of this alley the chain broke. It'd slipped down the front of her shirt into her bra. But the shell was gone. Chihiro re-checked her blouse thinking it might've gotten lodged in her clothes. Jumping up and down she shook out her jacket and flounced her skirt coming up empty handed as more people passed giving her wide berth and wary glances.

Then she saw a flash on the ground and nearly fell to her knees over it.

But it was only a 100 yen coin.

That alone drove her to tears.

Sitting back on her heels, dropping her briefcase and purse, she turned her face into her hands. Giving up all the dignity she'd worked so hard to pull together, Chihiro began crying like a little girl. She didn't give a damn who was watching. There was no way to explain this to anyone. No one would understand. She should _never_ ' _ve_ taken it off that shiny purple string. She could pull and pull and pull on that string and it never broke. But it didn't matter now. The shell was gone. She was never going to find it. Chihiro was sobbing now.

"Please don't cry, miss."

An electric shock went shooting up her arm as someone touched her shoulder. With a gasp she recoiled, half reaching for her mace as she starred up at the old bum. Well, maybe not an _old_ bum. It took her a second to see the guy was young beneath the mess of hair poking out from under his stocking hat. She could hardly see his face for all that hair. He was dressed in ratty clothes but didn't stink like booze or B.O. With odd politeness he bowed before sinking to his knees in front of her, offering out with both hand a tattered gray handkerchief.

She blinked at it, "Uh… N-no thank you."

He tucked it back into his coat only to peer at her worriedly.

"Are you alright?"

Rubbing her arm, Chihiro frowned at the lucidity in his soft tenor, because he wasn't drunk or crazy. Unlike the rest of the well-dressed night crowd who'd passed by without a second glance, he seemed genuinely concerned.

"Y-yeah, I, um… I lost something important."

Bashfully he dropped his gaze as she studied him curiously. His hands were shaking as he pulled a pair of broken glasses from his coat pocket.

"May I help you find it?"

As he stood, rising straight up and moving with uncanny grace, he offered his hand. Hesitating a moment, still not sure what to think of him, she took. Again a weird tingle went through her arm at the contact. But she forgot it because he was strong; strong enough to easily put her back on her feet! And she felt like a jerk as she snatched back her hand, barely resisting the urge to wipe it on her jacket. Unperturbed, the bum was at once searching the ground, turning away as he pulled a small piece of round metal from his pocket only to glance at the dial. Chihiro blinked. Was that a compass?

"Hey?" She called, following at a distance as he went back the way she had come, "I didn't even tell you want I lost."

"I need not know what it is to find it."

She frowned, because he had a funny way of talking. And as he turned his gaze over his shoulder Chihiro realized his eyes were green. Not just green, brilliantly green. They flashed in the dark like… like her shell… And this was weird. It was totally weird! If she ever got around to writing short stories this was so one for a page.

The bum was back to searching, glancing back and forth, moving more and more quickly like he was homing in on something. With mounting anticipation Chihiro followed him closely now, coming up short and almost bumping into him as something caught his attention. Tossing back his coat and kneeling in the gutter, the guy took off one of his gloves. Holding her breath as he reached through the mucky slats of the street grate, he fished something out, wiping it clean on his shirt tail before holding it up.

"Is this what you lost?"

Chihiro rushed forward as the shell flashed in the lamp light.

" _Oh, my God, you found it!"_ She gasped, still in shock as she looked at him in utter awe, _"How did you do that!?"_

Again he shrank from her attention as if terribly shy.

"I… I have experience finding lost things."

As he placed the shell in her cupped palm she noticed his hands were pale and soft, not at all a bum's hands. They were very… pretty. As she stared at them something stirred inside her sleepily but she rushed right past it to effuse in a rush.

"T-thank you! Thank you so much! You don't know how much this means to me."

At once he was standing and Chihiro froze. Wow, he was tall! And close too! For the first time she got a good look at his face and found out he was gorgeous. Like drop dead gorgeous and put me on a magazine cover if you cut my hair and put me in different clothes. She was staring, because he also looked familiar. But where the hell could she have met a green-eyed dowsing bum before?

"Here… uh… Lemmie give you some money."

His face went blank as she began digging in her purse for her wallet. And he bent as if suddenly stricken by some pain, retreating as he put up a pretty hand.

"Please… Please, do not. I am only happy to return it to you."

Confused, she stared. What kind of homeless guy turned down money?

"Kou!? _Hey, Kou!"_

His head jerked up, turning towards another tallish guy in a black marshmallow jacket and red 'n' black track pants. He was being lead by the hand by a tiny woman in pink Chihiro half mistook for a child.

"Kou!" The girl waved vigorously as she approached.

"What _t'fuck_ man!?" More than winded the guy bent over his knees as they met, "You just took off when we were havin' such a good time!"

"Apologies, Jae," the guy who helped her murmured solemnly, "I needed… air."

"Come back and eat before the food gets cold." The girl-woman grabbed the bum's arm, "I promise not t'feed you anymore kimchee."

But she fell still as her eyes rounded on her only to grow wide with recognition. Chihiro cringed from the shrill fan-girl's shriek.

" _It's you! It's you! It's you!"_

The girl-woman actually jumped up and down clapping her hands, knocking over the other guy. He went sprawling into the gutter as she launched at Chihiro, hugging her around the middle as words poured out of her in an ecstatic rush.

" _I am so happy to meet you! I love your book! I haven't bought the new one yet but will you sign my arm or my shirt or something, please, please, please!"_

Chihiro laughed as she threw up her arms. It was hard not to laugh when faced with such enthusiasm.

"N-nice to meet you too. Uh, sure, I'll sign anything you want."

The bum… er… well, he wasn't a bum after all. What was his name? Kou. The guy they'd called Kou was gently pulling on the girl-woman, utterly red in the face, all the while apologizing incessantly.

"Apologies, Ogino-san! Fuu is very, ah, excitable. Fuu? Please, let go, Fuu?"

Again, his soft tenor was nothing but kind. She liked the sound of it.

Wait… Chihiro blinked as she realized he used her name. At once she was floored. He'd known who she was all along! He knew, but hadn't asked for money or anything in exchange for helping her, even though he could've. She couldn't conceive of such a thing, not in Tokyo. At once she didn't care that a complete stranger was hugging her, because Kou was a genuinely decent guy, the first one she'd met in a long while. And she felt like a complete jerk, because she'd written him off as a bum just because of the way he looked. Suddenly she very much wanted to make that up to him.

"It's okay. Really, it's okay."

Chihiro hugged Fuu back and laughed in spite of herself. Fuu was actually sweet, not at all entitled or stuck-up like some of the other fan girls could be.

"Are you coming to the book signing tomorrow?"

" _Yes!"_ Fuu shrieked, pulling back only to pour out a running monologue of exactly what was going through her head, "Shouta and Kenka and I are coming tomorrow. We cosplay. But tonight we wanted to take Kou out to celebrate!"

She had no idea who any of those people were, but smiled all the same.

"Really?" She smiled at Kou, trying to start conversation, "What're you celebrating?"

At once he was shy, retreating beneath his hair as he bowed his head. Oh, that was so cute!

"We're celebratin' this guy not freezin' t'death in a shed!"

Chihiro'd almost forgotten about Jae. He'd been sitting on the frozen ground without a care in the world until now. And he climbed to his feet using Kou like a ladder.

"This guy's _fuckin'_ amazing!" Jae stabbed Kou in the chest with his finger making him wince as all of a sudden he laughing uproariously in his face.

"You're flying man! _Whoosh!_ "

Jae whooshed his hand just like Hiro Nakamura.

"Jay-Jay, be nice to Kou!" Fuu batted his hand, not getting the joke.

"Whoosh!" Jae repeated the motion, this time whispering with a grin.

Chihiro choked on a laugh, totally getting the Heroes reference. Even though he was kinda a jerk and had a filthy mouth, Jae was funny. Kou, however, didn't seem to mind the other guy's shenanigans. Patiently, and without complaint, he caught Jae as he weaved on his feet proving he'd had more than a little to drink. But Kou kept him from the gutter by slinging his arm over his shoulder. And Jae wasn't little. Chihiro blinked as she watched Kou prove again just how strong he was. The three of them were too much. Too weird, too funny, too intriguing; especially Kou. And it's not like she had anywhere to be tonight.

"So," Chihiro began with enthusiasm, "Where you off to now?"

"We're having Korean BBQ right there," Fuu pointed at a distant sign before her eyes got so big they reflected the lights overhead, "You wanna come eat with us?!"

"Would I be imposing?" She asked Kou with a coy smile.

"You fuckin' kidding me?!" Jae cut in as Kou opened his mouth to speak, "Of course you can come eat with us! Meg's gonna be _so pissed_ when she finds out what she missed!"

Before she could ask who Meg was Fuu grabbed her arm.

"C'mon, Chihiro!"

She barely had enough time to pick up her purse and case before the child-woman dragged her down the street. Kou and Jae followed shortly. Glancing back Chihiro could see Kou's face was completely red. Throwing her eyes forward she struggled not to squeal because it was just so cute!

"Hisa, mama-san!" (1) Jae sang to the hostess as they came in the front door.

Like he was her own son, the woman scolded him thoroughly in what Chihiro thought had to be Korean. (2) Chihiro blinked, because at once Kou was politely placating the shopkeeper, speaking in Korean. As he did Jae grabbed Kou by the front of the shirt, spinning him around to yell at him incredulously in more Korean. Wait… Kou spoke Korean? Okay, not this just wasn't fair! Tall, sweet, honest, and _bilingual_ : what were the chances that he already had a girlfriend or worse, wasn't interested in women?

But Chihiro didn't get a chance to eaves drop.

"This way!" Fuu cheered as the girl-woman pulled her through the cigarette smoke choked passages of the slightly run down BBQ shop.

The interior was decidedly 60's, burnt orange and avocado. The carpet between the raised dented sitting areas was black; although she was sure it hadn't started out life that color. Everything was somewhat worn and yellowed but that was okay. The entire shop felt real, like you had just stepped into someone's house, unlike some of the cold, soulless neo-gastro pubs she'd been to recently on business lunches. All around families and people were laughing, eating, and having a good time. Already she could feel herself relaxing. This was way more her speed than the strange places Michi liked to go.

Chihiro was utterly lost by the time they climbed a set of stairs and hooked around a dim, less choked corner to a smaller seating area with a great view of the street. Inside three people were obviously waiting for their friends to come back. A skinny plain woman about her age was laughing on the phone as two guys too good looking and well dressed to be straight lounged on each other like furniture. They were obviously involved. And the littler of the pair shot to his feet, knocking over his sofa boyfriend and spilling his beer as he pointed right at her with the same wide starry-eyed recognition that Fuu had turned on her earlier. He, however, didn't shriek. Instead the fellow let out a very mousy squeak as Fuu flooded at him.

"I know! I know! I know!" She hushed in awe.

" _Where!?"_ He squeaked again, _"How!?"_

"Kou found her!" At once the child-woman spun on her heel and was beckoning, "Neh, neh, neh! Come sit Ogino-san!"

Stepping out of her shoes she put her coat and bags on the hooks just inside the sliding doors. Fuu climbed up before her, shoving the little fellow and his boyfriend around the corner of the table, making more and more room until the boys ran into the other woman, jolting her out of her phone conversation. Chihiro smiled as she looked up. Her face completely wiped clean as her eyes widened.

"These are my best friends Kana, Shouta, and Kenka!" Fuu counted them off, all the while beaming like she'd just won a prize, "Everyone, this is Ogino Chihiro."

The other woman was still staring. She dropped her phone.

"Yo!" Not at all star-struck, Kenka threw up his hand in greeting, "Nice to meet you Ogino-san. Shouta here's a big fan."

Grinning sideways, Kenka poked the little fellow in the ribs. Ignoring the other guy, Shouta shook himself before his face tightened with honor. He bowed so formally he knocked his head on the table.

"Ow!" He recoiled, face lost in his hands, "N-nice to meet you, Ogino-san!"

You okay?" Fuu waving her hand at him in concern

"He's fine!" Kenka laughed as he pressed his Asahi can to Shouta's forehead.

And Chihiro was struggling not to laugh because these folks were a scream. It was so nice to be around weird people.

"Please, just call me, Chihiro."

"Alright!" Jae called as Kou steered him down the hall, "We're back!"

"Why'd you take off?!" Kana frowned at him.

"Yeah, we were worried." Shouta added.

"Apologies," and Kou meant it though he didn't explain.

Finally he took of his hat, not that it was any help thanks to his hair. Chihiro glanced at him from the corner of her eyes couldn't see anything but his pointy chin under all that mess. But she was distracted from her ogling as Jae kicked off his shoes and climbed up to the spot at the head of the table. Drunk as he was, he promptly began laying more meat onto the grill as if he could cook in any state. Oh, the smell was insanely delicious! At once her mouth was watering because she hadn't eaten anything in a very long time.

"Neh, Chihiro?" Jae clacked the tongs with a grin, "How d'you like your meat?"

"Rare." She answered without hesitation.

"Hah! I like you," He gestured at the others, "Oi, someone get 'er a drink!"

Fuu all but climbed into her lap to pour her a glass of beer.

"Here, Chihiro!"

Chihiro tried not to grimace as she accepted it. But she forgot about the fact that she hated beer, because what were the chances? There was only one place left for Kou to sit: right beside her. Almost as if he realized this, he dallied in the hall, taking his time taking off his coat and shoes. But that gave her more time to study him from the corner of her eyes. Even though he was swimming in his baggy clothes, as he hung up his coat the hem of his shirt lifted offering a flash of his smooth, rock-hard abs. Her insides tightened giddily and heat flushed her face as hastily she glanced aside. And she wasn't the only one looking. Kana went pink in the cheeks as they noticed each other noticing.

"Oi, sit your ass down already!"

Jae barked at Kou, loading the tall fellow's plate with food and rattling off a bunch of words Chihiro did not understand.

"Cho mogo, paboya!" (4)

"Ani." Kou murmured in exasperation, "Jeongji."

He melted to a seat beside her, making Chihiro blink, because he literally flowed up onto the sitting cushion. Hastily Kou pulled his plate out of range, swatting Jae's hand away. Ignoring whatever he'd said Jae kept putting more food on on his plate.

"Nae?" The cook answered pertly, putting a hand to his ear, "Mwuh rah goo?"

"Chungbunhi!" Kou repeated firmly.

Irritation flashed in his green eyes, proving he did have a temper. Not that Chihiro blamed him; Jae was giving him a hard time and enjoying every minute of it.

"Wait," Kana called Kou out, "You speak Russian _and_ Korean!?"

The thin woman counted off the languages on her fingers.

Again Chihiro blinked. Russian? He did have green eyes after all.

"Dude, how many languages do you speak?" Kenka teased, "Forty-two?"

"A little of many," Kou answered quietly, brushing his hair from of his face.

Finally he sat back and she was looking again, confirming everything she'd seen earlier. He was _seriously_ attractive and not at all in that dumb-ass bad-boy way that was so popular with the guys right now. His perfect skin was straight out of a magazine, milky pale beneath the silky ink of his hair. It had a strange greenish blue cast, but then again, that might just be because the neon sign outside the window was green. And there was something about him, something about the refinement of his straight nose, high cheeks and brow that made him kinda, well, timeless. Across the table Chihiro saw Kenka elbow Shouta with a grin. As he whispered something in his boyfriend's ear the little fellow's eyes flashed at them slyly. Slowly his eyes widened as a smile stole across his face. Hastily she began eating as Jae doled meat onto plates waving his tongs commandingly.

"All of you eat!"

" _Oui, chef!"_ Kenka accepted his with gusto.

"Too much, Jae!" Kana frowned, "I said too much!"

"I'll eat what you don't want," Fuu beamed happily.

"So how do you folks know each other?"

Chihiro turned to Kou hoping now that he was cornered she could wring a conversation out of him. Unfortunately she caught him just as he put a piece of spare rib into his mouth. Again he went bright red and bobbed a bow in apology, sending his hair flooded back into his pale handsome face.

"We work together," Fuu answered for him as she shamelessly gnawed on a thin slice bone, not at all afraid to eat.

"Really? All of you?" That explained their closeness because they acted like siblings, "Where at?"

" _Le Pichet_. It's a French restaurant in Ueno park," Kana cut, motioning between Fuu and herself before throwing her hand at the guys, "We wait tables and keep the books. The rest of these fools cook."

Chihiro blinked, "You're shitting me!"

"Ah, man, now I _really_ like her!" Jae smirked sideways, covering a chunk of meat in a huge pile of kimchee before rolling it in crisp leaf of lettuce. This he stuffed in his mouth whole and succeeded.

"Seriously though, I love _Le Pichet_ ," Chihiro continued, "I took my parent's back in November. Which one of you made the salmon cakes in dill cream sauce?"

"Me!" Shouta threw up his hand proudly,.

"You. You are awesome," Chihiro clapped for him in complete seriousness, "I could eat that every day for the rest of my life."

Shouta feigned a swoon, falling into Kenka's lap, making him spill his beer.

"Chihiro likes my cooking! Squeal!" he spoke the word aloud, "I can die happy!"

"Don't die, Shouta," Fuu was actually worried as she sat up on her heels, peering over the table to see him, "I need you t'cosplay tomorrow."

Kana rolled her eyes, throwing them at the ceiling in exasperation. Then her phone rang and she was scrambling for it, turning away with it at her ear.

"Moshi-moshi!?"

"Oi!" Jae called over his shoulder as a waitress in a yellow kimono went by, holding his hands wide, "Can we get some more beer? _Big_ _ones_ , neh?"

As the chatter broke around them Chihiro tried again, undaunted by her previous bad luck. But as she turned to Kou the witty words she'd carefully constructed just dried up on the tip of her tongue, because his face had transformed. No longer shy and hiding, he was smiling at table's antics as if just being here made him happy. And his stunning green eyes were alight with laughter that pulled back his generous lips revealing straight white teeth. Chihiro stared, because happiness soaked him through until he was shining. And in that moment he wasn't just attractive, he was _gorgeous_!

She jumped as Haku glanced at her, only now realizing she was looking.

"S-so!" she stammered hastily, "Where d'you learn to cook?"

"Oh, I do not cook. I do not know how though I wish I did," he frowned as if it was a terrible thing, "I am grateful to wash dishes."

She blinked. The way he said it, that he was grateful, he actually meant it. Who was grateful to wash dishes?

"You're wasting yourself, man!" Jae tossed into their conversation as he wrestled another beer open, "Dunno what t'fuck you're doin' here an' not in Europe or America."

Chihiro frowned in confusion, "What d'you mean?"

"He should be on stage." Kenka gestured at Kou with a can of Sapporo.

"You should see 'im _dance_!" Shouta effused as he uprighted himself with poise only to apply himself to his meal in the same way Fuu had.

"You dance?" Chihiro turned back to Kou.

"I do." Kou dropped his chin, making her want to reach out and lift it back up.

"We all dance," Fuu held her out plate for more only to have Kana hand her hers, "Kou just joined our studio."

Chihiro's memory jogged as she recalled the sign on the restaurant's second story.

"The one over _Le Pichet_?"

"Yup," Jae rolled another lettuce leaf with a grin, "I'm classically trained but I prefer modern. I toss a little hip-hop on top t'piss off my omah."

"I'm classical too. So's Fuu," Kana surface from her phone as she picked a piece of lettuce off the pile and ate it raw, "That's how we got our jobs at _Le Pichet_. Chef Jean Paul's got a soft spot for dancers. S'good thing too, 'cause I'm never going anywhere with it."

"Don't say that, Kana," Fuu refuted earnestly, "You've got great form."

"Look, I've made my peace with it," Her dark eyes went practical, "I'm just happy to dance."

"We feel the same way," Kenka added, "We do ballroom and Latin."

"Not a lot of call out there for a guy-guy pairing," Shouta's grin was shameless, "Maybe if I went in drag."

"No need to go drag, you already look like a girl," Kana teased back.

Out of nowhere Kou pronounced in all seriousness, "There is nothing wrong with looking like a girl."

It was so left field the table lost it.

" _Ah! I love you, man!"_

Jae jabbed him with his foot, laughing so hard he was crying. So were Kenka and Shouta. Fuu blinked, obviously confused whereas Kana surfaced from texting too late and totally missed it.

"What!?" She demanded, "What's so funny!?"

As the rest of them laughed harder Chihiro turned to Kou.

"What about you? What's your favorite kind of dance?"

"I…?" His sheepish smile faded, but only a fraction as he carefully considered her question, "I am like the others. To be able dance is more than I had hoped for."

At once he was quiet and so terribly mysterious she couldn't not stare.

She saw him noticing that she was watching him. Any other guy would've looked back, probably leered, and rattled off some bogus lines. But not Kou. And he wasn't dumb, far from it. There was a whole lot of _something_ going on in his head. Unfortunately Chihiro had no idea what it was. All the same, Chihiro was done testing the waters. She'd made up her mind. Taking matters into her own hands she bumped his shoulder playfully, filling a glass for him with the beer Fuu had given her and holding it out until he took it with shaking fingers.

"Kampai," she clinked hers against his and they downed them together.

And she was watching him again as he surfaced. For some reason Kou kept his eyes closed a moment after setting down his glass. He looked like he was steeling himself for something. Before she could be too terribly confused his mysterious green gaze turned onto her like something out of a dream. And her insides went perfectly still. It seemed like the whole world had gone still, because he looked into her eyes as if he could look at her for the rest of his life. No one had ever looked at her like this.

This was sudden, intense, and very, _very_ unexpected. Because she had just meant to flirt a little bit; this guy was a total stranger. She'd only just met him and had literally followed him back here off the street. She'd followed him back here on a whim because he was cute and weird and totally unlike anyone she'd ever met. Plus his friends were hilarious and she couldn't stand the thought of going home to an empty house.

Chihiro, however, hadn't expected _this_.

But then again, wasn't this what chemistry was supposed to feel like? Wasn't it supposed to be all shivers and shills like lightning was about to strike? He had zapped her after all. Judging from the look Kou was giving her right now, the feeling was mutual. And there was this pull between them, like magnets or gravity, and it was very hard to ignore. Maybe it was just the beer finally hitting her. Maybe not. And Chihiro dropped her eyes to his mouth, all of a sudden wondering.

"So what about you, Chihiro?" Kana started up from across the table with forced cheer, "What s'it like t'be famous?"

Kenka elbowed Kana sharply with a heavy quelling stare.

" _Ow!"_ She elbowed him back, rubbing her arm, "What was that for?!"

Up until this moment she was having such a great time. It was nice, if only briefly, just to be a person again. But it was a legitimate question. After invading their diner and lust after their friend she owed them an answer.

"Sometimes its fun but most of the time it sucks."

"How could it suck?" Shouta started up in confusion.

She wilted forward, too tired to be anything but honest.

"Once you publish everyone wants you to write more. After a while it makes you not want to write at all."

"Wow," Fuu seemed to actually understand, "Never though about it that way."

"We know what that's like, Chihiro."

At once Jae was pouring her another drink. He did so with strange formality, putting his left hand under his arm, as suddenly he went serious.

"Eat, sleep, breath, shit, dance! _Dance, dance, dance!_ After a while it's hard not t'hate it. You wonder why you started in the first place." He clinked his glass against hers and knocked it back only to stare broodingly into the empty cup, "If you're not careful that hate'll eat you up. S'why you always need something else. For me tha's cookin' 'cause some day m'gonna be an old fart too fat t'dance."

Chihiro stared at Jae slowly absorbing in his drunken wisdom. But a sinking feeling weighed her insides, tightening her chest as she tried to decide what her _something else_ was. There was philanthropy; she was taking a good crack at that with the new edition. But that wasn't it. As she stared at her full cup it felt like a great gaping void had opened inside her where that _something else_ should be. And she knew that void had to do with what happened in Kumomi.

Gods, it'd been such a long time since she'd really thought about all that, really though about it and not just safely brushed around its edges in the fantasy world she created to protect herself from the realities of death and loss. And it was like hitting a wall of glass. All kinds of frightening things shifted and eddied beyond the surface of that cold impermeable barrier. But she couldn't reach them, could hardly see them. Something was holding her back and she had no idea what it was.

Shaking herself physically, Chihiro realized Kou was watching her furtively. And his emerald eyes had gone dark with something strange. In a panic, and not wanting to freak him out, Chihiro forced a bright smile that made her face hurt. Luckily Jae saved her from herself.

"Fuck the sad stuff, eh!? Let's party!" He cheered, eyes at once lost in a drunk smile as he threw up his glass, " _Kampai!"_

Chihiro help up her glass, trying to shrug off the shadow that still clung to her, trying to forget it in drunken fun as everyone lifted their glasses, even Kou.

" _Kampai!"_ She sang again, and again until Chihiro forgot she hated beer.

Stuffed on delicious food and beginning to get slightly drunk, Chihiro laughed her ass off and clapped her hands as Jae instigated a spontaneous game of rock-paper-scissors with Fuu across the table. Slamming his foot down like a sumo wrestler, he snatched up his napkin and tied it around his forehead, striking a pose and pointing at the tiny child-woman while shouting at the top of his lungs.

"IN-JAN-HOI!"(4)

" _Sho!"_ She answered back with glee, leaping up and throwing out her hand.

"Rock vs. rock!" Shouta lifted his hand like some kinda referee, "A tie!"

"Fuck!" Jae wilted then summoned his strength as they tried again and again.

Rock versus rock. Rock versus rock? Rock versus rock!

"Dude!" Kenka hissed at Fuu, "He always picks rocks. Pick paper! _Paper!_ "

"But I like rock," Fuu hissed back.

And Chihiro had to sit back against the wall, holding her sides as they ached, because she was laughing so hard she gave herself the hiccups.

"What's over there!?" Fuu demanded suddenly with a wide eye'd gasp as she pointed to the right.

"Huh?" Jae looked right, realizing only then that he'd fallen for the trick and therefore forfeited the tie. As if he'd lost some decisive battle he sank to his knees and wailed to the ceiling, _"NO!"_

"Yay!" Fuu threw up her hands and clapped, "I win! I win! Jae drinks!"

"Drink! Drink! Drink!"

Shouta and Kenka began hammering their fists on the table until Jae sat down hard and threw back an enormous bottle of beer.

"Jae? Jae, that is enough, Jae!" Kou counseled fearfully only to catch his friend before he fell backwards out of the booth.

"Cool it, guys!" Kana hissed at them as the hostess glared down the hall at them, "We're gonna get kicked out!"

"Who wants to go play in the arcade across the street," Fuu's nose was pressed to the window, turning green in the humming light.

" _Me!"_ Shouta and Kenka threw up their hands simultaneously.

"Tch!" Sighing in aggravation, Kana stood, "I'm going home! Don't forget we've got work tomorrow!"

She had to stoop to not hit her head as she put on her coat and gathered her things. Fishing in her purse, she forced a folded bill into Jae's hand.

"Here. That's more than my share."

He stared at the piece of paper blankly before looking up at her with wide eyes all too similar to Fuu's. He stuck out his bottom lip and pouted drunkenly as he wrapped his arms around her ankles.

"You're leaving me, Kay-Kay?"

Shouta and Kenka apparently though this was hilarious 'cause they lost it. But judging from the silver cans piled around them they were so far gone.

"You're such a dick, Jae!"

Kana wriggled out of his embrace then stepped over him as he flopped into her path. Snatching the bill from Jae's hand she forced it into Kou's, adding another bill.

"That's for a cab. Make sure he gets home!"

Kou blinked rapidly, looking between her and the crashed drunk.

"But Kana-san I do not know where he lives."

"Not my problem," Kana spun on her heel to bowed to her shortly, "Nice to meet you, Chihiro."

With that she jumped down, shoved her feet into her shoes, and took off.

"Bye, Kana!" Fuu called cheerfully, "See you tomorrow!"

As Jae began to snore Shouta waved at a waitress as she darted around the corner.

"Check please!"

"Wanna come play with us, Chihiro?" Fuu tugged on her sleeve like a little girl, "They have Dance Dance Revolution."

"That's okay. Uh, video games aren't really my thing."

Michi tried to get her to play once of twice. Unfortunately, Chihiro's hands weren't coordinated enough to manage the 12 buttons on the controllers. Wii bowling was fun. That was one thing she could play. But anything that required manual dexterity beyond flailing was utterly beyond her.

"You're leaving?"

Fuu looked absolutely heart broken, like she might even cry. Terrified by the fact that she might _actually_ cry, Chihiro fished a card out of her purse, holding it out to her.

"Here. Call me when you get to the book signing tomorrow. I'll have VIP passes waiting so you can come back stage. I'll have complementary copies for you all ready to go, so you won't have to wait in line for the signing or the screening. It might be crazy busy, but maybe we can hang out some more."

" _Really!?"_ Fuu and Shouta gasped in perfect unison.

Fighting a grin, Chihiro nodded, "Yup. Bring anyone who wants to come."

Fuu accepted the card like it was a holy relic, looking up at her in awe.

"Oh, we are _so_ cosplaying!" Shouta hushed from the other side of the table, making Kenka snort. The little guy glared up at him, "You too, darling."

Ignoring his partner, Kenka turned to Kou with a sly smile. Reaching over, he plucked Kana's money right out of his hand.

"Dude, we've got Jae an' we'll make sure Fuu get's home. Why don't you walk Chihiro to her station?"

Shouta jumped, glaring at Kenka like he'd just pinched him. Then understanding dawned on him.

"That's a good idea. Shinjuku's a little rough at night."

Chihiro blinked, noting the little fellow's sly smile.

Wait…Were they setting them up?

"Is it?" Kou was frowning. Without another word he was already putting on his hat and coat. Chihiro blinked, because she hadn't seen him get up. She wasn't about to protest.

"Let me put in something for diner," again she dug in her purse.

" _Hells no!"_ Shouta rounded on her with that solemn expression of honor, "You're my favorite author. I'm buying you diner!"

"Me too!" Fuu threw her hand into the air. Looking up at it as if forgetting why she'd done so, Fuu began waving it, "We'll be there tomorrow, don't you worry Chihiro! Thanks so much for coming t'eat with us!"

Leaning over Jae with a frown Haku added another bill to Shouta's hand. Now snoring even louder, the guy was passed out, cuddling up to a threadbare seat cushion.

"Will he be well?"

Kenka snorted, "Dude, he's always like this."

"Go on," Shouta gave him a push, "We've got things. Jae lives right by here anyway."

Chihiro bowed as she stepped down into her shoes, turning with a smile she hadn't smiled in a long time, "Thanks so much for letting me crash your party."

"Come by _Le Pichet_ any time," Kenka grinned back, "Better yet, come by our studio: Monday thru Thursday after 5PM. Maybe you can talk Kou into _dancing_."

Chihiro blinked. Did Kenka just wink at her!?

"Maybe I, uh, will... G'night."

She could feel the heat creeping into her cheeks as she gathered her things only to find Kou was already loitering halfway down the hall.

"Bye, Chihiro!" Fu called after her as Chihiro followed Kou, "G'night, Kou!"

As she approached he turned to her with the same startling elegance from earlier.

Bowing wordlessly, he motioned to the hall, making her stare.

And it took Chihiro a second to realize Kou wanted her to go first.

She was still staring at his pretty hand.

* * *

 **Notes:**

Hisa is the Kansai dialect (Kyoto/Osaka/Nara region) way of saying hello. Jae is from Osaka originally.

According to official statistics in 2002, the Korean population in Tokyo amounted to 80,000, which was the second largest following that of Osaka.

According to official statistics in 2002, the Korean population in Tokyo amounted to 80,000, which was the second largest following that of Osaka. The commercial district around Shin-Okubo Station in Shinjuku developed after World War II, and is dominated by "new-comers" - recent immigrants from South Korea who have retained their ethnic and cultural identity, as can be seen from the ubiquitous signs written in hangul. –Wikipedia

The gist of the conversations was J: Eat a lot, you idiot! K: Stop it. That's enough! J: What? What'd you say ::Still piling food:: K:Enough! ::takes plates away::

In-jan-HOI! Is what people in Kansai say when playing rock scissors paper, which is where Jae's From.


	25. Chapter 25

**CHIHIRO**

Hot faced with embarrassment Chihiro hurried ahead.

She turned a corner only to find not a stairway, as she had hoped.

Instead a long stretch of people choked sitting areas with drawn papers sliders. Fantastic shadows danced against the time-yellowed translucent screens, making the murmuring sounds of voices seem almost otherworld as they floated through the clouds of cigarette smoke. Chihiro found herself hurrying ahead even though she had no idea where she was going. But time seemed to slow all around her as she went, because older architecture was more prevalent in the upper floors. The walls were dark with age and the floor was bare wood. It thumped and bounced slightly beneath her feet. The unnerving sensation was oddly familiar. And someone must have opened a window somewhere because the hallway smelled very strongly of rain.

Déjà vu hit her full force.

And she had the feeling she'd done this before; maybe not here, but somewhere else. It was totally weird; scary weird; like have a panic attack weird. She hadn't had one of those in a long time. Staring to feel slightly dizzy, and afraid to go any further toward the dark distant end of the hall, abruptly Chihiro turned back the way they'd come.

"Neh, Kou? Which way's out again?"

By way of an answer he ran right into her.

She hadn't realized how closely he was following her because he was so quiet. Kou had some pretty good momentum going too and he would've knocked her right off her feet if he hadn't caught her. As they came to stillness his face was inches from hers, so close his messy hair tickled her cheeks. And she was staring into his jade eyes as his warm breathe broke over her face. _Whoo!_ Her body's reaction was instantaneous. All kinds of hot needful things tightened in the pit of her stomach even as her heart thrilled inside her chest, making her head and throat squeeze with anticipation. Chihiro's hands tightened on his coat as again she was staring at his lips. Fascinated by their shape, she watched his generous mouth form words without hearing a single one.

"Are you alright?" He hushed in consternation.

" _Excuse us!"_ Waitresses sang behind them.

At once they broke apart, flattening against the wall and making way for a series servers who shuffled by carrying a fantastic caravan of hissing platters and steaming baskets. Kou gaped at the procession, craning his neck as if wanting to see more of them as he followed a step or two after them like he might follow. Grinning in spite of the sharp disappointment circling in her stomach like a shark, Chihiro grabbed his hand and pulled him in the opposite direction.

"C'mon! You can't possibly be hungry!"

"I am not," He didn't seem sure, "These smells are so new to me."

She laughed, not knowing how to reply, because he was so very weird. As they turned another corner in the labyrinth of seating areas Kou gently pulled her to a stop, pointing down a side hall.

"The way out is this way."

"How d'you know that?" She remembered the way he'd found her shell earlier like he was using some kind of magic and grinned, "You haven't checked your compass."

Totally serious, he glanced back at her.

"I do not need assistance, Chihiro."

Again her heart thrilled. It was the first time he'd said her name. She very much liked the way he said it, as if it was already familiar on his lips.

"Why not?" She pressed, teasing now although half serious.

With a perfectly straight face he pointed at the green exit sign glowing distantly, great big arrow aimed right down the hall he'd suggested.

"Oh…"

Feeling like a complete idiot she followed behind him silently.

At least he was still holding her hand, and it was a good thing because the streets of Shinjuku were packed with people as they spilled out the stairwell into the street. At once he went rigid as a board, taking a step back into her as if afraid. Looking up at him she found he had gone quite pale. His green eyes were so wide they reminder her of Fuu's. Frowning, she couldn't help but look, trying to see whatever had upset him.

"S-so many _people_ …!" Kou's breath lifted in a cloud thanks to the frigid air.

Distantly they could see the white glowing bulk of Shinjuku station modern shell and bodies poured out of its many access points, flooding the allies. Toyko's nightlife turned out in full force in spite of the frosty temperature. As steam flooded up from the gutters a carbon-copy heard of business men paused to gawk at a two young women in fur shrugs and full kimono as they clacking by on wooden geta carrying guchi purses. On the adjacent block a group of men in leather jackets with florescent Mohawks crossed the street only to pause and make way for a bent old grandma. Seconds later the same guys hooted and cat called after a gal circle of white lipped yamamba. (1) Chihiro would never understand this fashion craze. In their fake white eyelashes and electric pink-purple wigs the girls looked terrifying, especially with their almost orange tanned faces. Fearlessly the girls laughed at the punk's and hooted right back, questioning their manhood and following after them so aggressively the group of leather jackets scattered across the street.

And the streets, including this one, grew narrower as they stretched further and further away from the station, choked with counter bars, glowing red lanterns, fluttering curtains, clouds of cigarette smoke, piles of trash, and people, people, people. Shinjuku seemed almost an underground cave at times because the wires overhead were so thick. But the people here didn't care. They were laughing, drinking, eating, and arguing. And elderly couple shuffled by holding hands even as across the street a younger pair paused in the middle of the choked sidewalk to kiss.

And for the first time in a long while, Chihiro actually saw them.

Kou made her look a second time at the city.

And she blinked as she realized she'd stopped looking a while ago.

Tearing her eyes away, she looked at him instead only to go still once more, because she had never seen someone so awed. He was gawking now, more than curious and twice as delighted as he inspected the passing crowds.

"I have never seen so many people in all my life!"

Frowning in confusion, he pointed at Shinjuku station. Tributaries of bodies poured out of the building's many access points.

"How is it possible that they all fit in that building?!"

Chihiro laughed outright at that, "You're new to Tokyo, aren't you?"

"Yes."

And he didn't drop his chin as he admitted that. He was too distracted to be shy. Standing tall, Kou used his height to his advantage as he stood on his toes to gape at something she couldn't see. And curiosity burned on the tip of her tongue until she couldn't stand it.

"So where're you from?"

"The place I was born no longer exists," He replied absently, "It was a beautiful forest full of maples and pines. In the summer there was quiet green shade and in the winter bright white sky. Nothing at all like _this_ world."

Chihiro blinked. He had such a strange way of putting things, but she liked the way he talked. Kou didn't seem inclined to say more. Again he was distracted, lifting his eyes overhead and watching at the intensely buzzing, winking, humming electric signs in the same way someone might watch fireflies.

"What happened?"

"They built condos," His face tightened into sharp lines of anger.

Suddenly she understood all too well.

"The same thing happened to the forest by my parent's house. They tore down all the trees and built a huge mess of houses no one bought."

"People bought these places," He continued quietly, "In droves and droves they came until I was forced to leave for there was no place left for me."

As if he only realizing he'd been talking all this time Kou blinked and red flooded his cheeks. Chihiro met his uncertain gaze with a frown. Even when she was living _on-her-own_ in Nagoya she'd go home every other weekend. Her parents could be a pain but she loved her mom and dad. Even now she missed them, even her mother's persistent meddling. She couldn't fathom what it was like to not have a home.

"I-I'm so sorry…"

Then he did it again. He dropped his face as if shy of her attention. Then again he forgot to be shy while following something of interest off into the crowds.

"It is alright. I am grateful to have found a new home."

Chihiro blinked. Did he mean Tokyo or somewhere else? She couldn't tell and he didn't elaborate. But at once Kou was surveying the milling press of bodies, looking at the herd of people the same way someone might look at a raging river when trying to find the best crossing route.

"Where may I take you this evening, Chihiro?"

Her pulse quickened as again he pronounced her name easily. Her heart went flying up into her throat and she almost blurted that he could take her anywhere he wanted. But the reality was it was a short walk to Shinjuku station. It would be an even shorter wait if she called Lydia. The fact that she was slightly drunk helped her muster courage because this _so was not_ something she would normally do! But Chihiro did not want to let go of his hand. Not yet.

"Neh, Kou?" She had to pause to swallow only to find her throat had gone completely dry, "I… I know you have to work tomorrow and this might sound, um, kinda _weird_ considering we just met, but I… I'd really like to spend some more time with you tonight if that's okay? Can we, um, get a cup of coffee or something?"

Chihiro held her breath because Kou had gone perfectly still. His back was to her and she couldn't see his face. But then his gloved fingers laced through hers. And as he spoke it was in a quiet voice intended for only her.

"There is nothing I would enjoy more."

She could have floated right up off the sidewalk.

Thankfully she didn't, because he was holding her hand.

* * *

 **LIN**

A frigid draft whistled around the window at her back as she bent at the desk.

Lin had to sit sideways her stomach was so big.

At least the kitlings were sleeping.

Gods, they were giving her no peace these days.

The electric light overhead hummed and flickered as if unhappy to be so close to her. Shadows shifted around the feet of the receipts neatly piled around the edges of the low table like the walls of some well constructed fortress. Lin ticked beads back and forth across the abacus, balancing the books as she made notes with her ink brush on the crisp ledger paper. She had moved her records keeping back into the human building. There was far more room to work here. Plus it was much quieter than the God Wing. The frogs had the television set on almost constantly and she was sick of listening to Aniyaku's chortling gaffaw.

In spite of the bad weather that slowed the number of arriving guests, they still had managed a significant profit for the month of November. December was looking to be the same. Now that money wasn't such an issue they could easily close for the New Years, maybe even more. And she wouldn't feel a bit of remorse about making those cancellation calls. Running her hand across the top of her huge stomach, Lin considered she would need the time away from work for other things. Very soon their children would enter the world. And her face warmed with affection as she felt her babies stir beneath her pressed palm.

At once she found herself hoping that they'd have Suzume's eyes.

Gold and bright like sunlight.

But a frown tightened the scars on her face as a shadow flitted down the hallway outside the office door. Onsen tattled on the cat with a subtle creak. Lin barely managed not to throw her ink stone at the wall, because she was getting sick of this! But if she had thrown something she probably would've woken up Mrs. Nikkou and probably Suzume too. Since they' come back from the spring with Cinna the fox had been following in the old witch's footsteps as if afraid to take his eyes off her. Not that she blamed him. She looked like a flame that'd reached the end of its wick. Lin's heart went cold in her chest as she tried not to think about it.

"Leave it alone, cat." Lin growled impatiently.

Seconds later a sour faced Cinna stuck her nose around the frame of the door. She crouched low to the ground, glaring with narrowed red eyes at the ceiling. Onsen creaked uncomfortably. The cat crossed her arms in a huff her velvety black ears folded. The electric lamp threw her shadow into stark relief, etching the outline of a cat against the yellow papered wall behind her as Cinna lashed her tail impatiently.

" _Aye wanna go back..."_ She grated in a hoarse rasp.

Cinna would not leave the door to Chihiro's room alone. She was constantly testing the portal, prying and prodding at it, trying to find some way back to Tokyo. But that was not the way the tokens worked. Unless the primary was engaged the secondary tile was useless. It the bit of useless red lacquered wood until magic made the mark inside it otherwise. Lin held back the angry words she would've liked to thrown instead of her ink stone but that the cat had spoken at all was a miracle. For half a day Lin was half afraid the cat would never speak again. The wounds on her neck had badly damaged her voice and she had to struggle to make sounds.

"' _E needs me!"_ Cinna choked as she slid to a seat on the bare planks, gritting her sharp yellow teeth, _"'E jus' ah kitten!"_

"Look! I'd send you if I could but I can't!"

Lin's frown deepened as the cat's fretful worry touched an all too sympathetic a nerve hidden deep in her stony bones. She swallowed with difficulty, pretending to turn back to her numbers while really she was worrying about the stupid dragon. Lin still couldn't believe half of what Tomoe told her. Against her will Lin remembered the vision she'd seen of Haku spattered with blood staring in horror at his hands. Blinking rapidly, she tried to clear that image from her head.

"Haku's not completely helpless. Besides, if he wants to find Sen he's gonna need to learn to stand on his own feet."

That much was true. Unfortunately it didn't bring either of them any peace. Putting down her brush with a sigh, she massaged her temple. Then for some reason the cat snorted, sounding like she was trying not to laugh.

" _Neh, Lin? Um…"_ Cinna pointed vaguely.

"What now!?" She wilted into her only hand.

Here the cat paused as if reconsidering something. And her voice was smug as she choked on her replied.

" _Nevermind…"_

Lin looked up as the cat's ears swiveled rapidly, turning towards the back hall as the floor creaked and snapped. Retreating to the interior of the room and folding up against the opposite side of the door, Cinna made way as pale and wide-eyed once more. Wearing his night clothes and not even a jacket this time, Kai appeared at the doorway even though it was very, very late. Lin was flabbergasted by his appearance especially since Amano had chewed the kid out so thoroughly the morning prior about coming over here without permission.

"You!" Lin pointed. She would've risen if she could've, "You're not supposed to be here!"

"I-I know b-but someone's on Uncle Hidé's boat!"

The little human rushed forward, pointing back the way he'd come.

"We saw lights from t'cabin an' jus' Dad took off! I've never seen him so mad! K-Kiri went after him an' her second shadow got all kinds of scary as she went! I was so scared I didn' know what else t'do but come here!"

Lin blinked, stunned to stillness.

She'd spent the whole day watching that second shadow hide as if it knew she was watching. Sometimes it slipped and Lin saw, especially in the sun. It was shaped like a human woman. But she knew exactly what the child meant when he said it'd turned frightening. With a cold pinch of apprehension tightening in her chest Lin hauled herself to her feet.

"Stay here!" She ordered quietly.

As she stormed through the door she glanced at Mrs. Nikkou's door.

It was closed, the occupants inside fast asleep.

Suzume hadn't woken up with Kai crossed.

Maybe he'd sleep thru the night?

At once she was down the back stairs and into the kitchen. A timid flame kindled in the hearth, lighting the room and revealing Tomoe was standing in front of the open back door. The ghost drew back from the portal as Lin waddled down the stairs. Instead of the back yard the archway offered up the interior of a mortal house. It smelled strongly of motor oil and sea salt. It was Amano's smell. Without hesitation she strode over the threshold. Magic sang across her skin like cold fire, making her momentarily dizzy as she spun on her heel. Tomoe slipped across the portal seconds before she slammed the door. Though she barely noticed him, Lin was glad he'd come. What better to deal with shadows than another shadow?

"Move!" She commanded the ghost, yanking the door open once more.

The connection could be reforged at any moment. This doorway had two primary tiles and could be opened from either side. And she wanted to get a head start before anyone else decided to follow her.

Spilling out into the blustery winter, Lin was brought up short by the brooding sky. The more time she spent in the mortal world the more she felt its bite. Blinking rapidly as it stung her eyes, the long grass in the front yard flattened against the ground in the gusts churning peeks of white on the dark flat of the bay. The air was too cold for her to taste or smell the salt. The front gate's hinges shrieked in the wind as it rattled and swung, beating against the fence. Overhead angry black clouds hung low, churning and threatening rain and more as they blotted out indigo night. Distantly A fog horn booed its mournful warning as the harbor buoys rang clamorously. And the bass voice of the ocean roared until it was almost humming in her blood. Unnerved by the crackling static hanging in the open air and the sea's foul mood, she threw her eyes across the harbor and saw in the tiny bobbing portholes of Hidé's boat.

They were filled with light.

Abruptly one blocked out as something passed in front of it.

"C'mon!" She barked at Tomoe.

Hurrying awkwardly thanks to her stomach, she glanced back to find the ghost wordlessly following on her heels as if already knowing why she'd let him follow. And it was so late that the Yamada's bar had closed. Barely any lights showed in the windows of Kumomi-cho as if the village had hunkered down under the weight of the approaching storm. But there was an unfamiliar truck parked in the harbor lot though the name stenciled on the door was familiar.

Nikkou Fish Company: so it read in white against the navy paint.

Baffled by the sight, Lin cringed as a frigid gust blew right through her skin, shoving her down the pier towards the moored boats. Their bows rose and dipped like the beaks of nervous birds as they jostled against each other, creaking and shuddering as the agitated water churned beneath their keels.

Lin came up short where the dock met the sea wall, recoiling as a wave smashed on the opposite rocks, whipping her with a thick mist she could taste on her lips. And she was soaked in seconds, no longer hidden in the lee of the arm of stone rising up into Mount Eboshi behind her. Here the wind screamed off the open water with furious speed as the timbers beneath her feet moaned beneath the fury of the elements. Tomoe took her arm, shielding her from the wind as he guided her towards a single light.

Seeing the deck of the _Kaze no Sengen_ sent a shudder through her insides. Last time she had set foot on this boat it was to claim Sen. I had been almost half a year since. As pregnant as she was, in a burst of uncanny agility lightly Lin danced across the madly gyrating nose of the prow. She was kami after all. Sinking low over her feet, Lin steadied herself on Tomoe's offered arm as the craft tossed and shimmied in the water. Listening over the wind, she clearly heard the angry voices echoing from within.

Amano was more than pissed, he was livid.

"Get t' _fuck_ off this boat, _old man_! Y'got no right t'be here!"

"Don't call me that, y'damn hothead!" A strange threw back just a furiously, "I got more right t'be here than you!"

Lin listened sharply, because he spoke with the same clipped consonants that marked the local speech. Though the human's voice was harsh with bitterness, smoldering with anger and old hurt, there was something familiar in it.

"You two were oil an' water; why t'hell d'you sudden care!?"

"What would you know 'bout _anythin'_ tha's been goin' on here, eh?!" Amano shot back, growing angry again as acid dripped from every word, "Y'didn' even come t'Izzie's funeral!"

As a difficult silence fell Tomoe flinched, making Lin glance at him.

She watched as the ghost shrank before bowing with reverence.

Startled, she threw her eyes after his and found Hidé sitting on the bench built into the railing. Wearing silver and gold hakama that spilled around his feet like scales of water the God's bare chest flashed like mother of pearl in the dark. But in a very human motion he bent over his knees with clasped hands. His burning sapphire eyes remained firmly fixed on the deck as he listened to the squall inside the cabin of his boat. Hidé flinched and his face twisted with such pain as again the stranger finally spoke in a voice frayed with despair.

" _Goddamn_ it, Testuo! My son's dead! _Dead!_ An' I would've come home but _she_ didn't even have t'decency t'give her own grandson a _goddamned_ funeral! This boat s'all I have left of him an' I'll be _damned_ if I see it rot into t'harbor or sold off for peanuts 'cause my _goddamn_ mother's too _crazy_ t'admit he's _dead!_ "

"Keep talkin' 'bout Obasama like that, _old man_ , an' I'll break your fuckin' face!"

"I've put you under before, kid," The other male returned in a dangerously low voice, "Don't think I won't do it again."

"Both of you just stop it!" Kiri pleaded, suddenly reminding Lin she was there.

"Stay outta this, babe!" He shot back, "Go home!"

"D-don't fucking order me around like I'm a piece of furniture!"

"Good luck with that," the stranger muttered callously, "You shoulda heard t'way he talked t'Manami."

"Don't _fuckin'_ talk about my wife, you _bastard_!"

A muffled crash and an angry shout brought on another bout of stillness.

" _Enough!"_ Kiri thundered, sounding like she'd come to an end,"You're both _idiots!_ And right now I can't stand the sight of you!"

Lin fell back against the opposite side of the deck as Kiri threw herself through the door, stumbling on the slick deck. Hidé flowed to his feet, reaching to help her. But she didn't see him, she was sobbing too hard. Her shadow, however, did.

It stood in Kiri's wake physically, clearer than it had ever showed before. Lin shrank as it looked at her and Tomoe before turning to Hidé, reaching for him as if trying to communicate something. In shock Hidé stared with wide-eyed recognition. In the meantime Kiri scrambled up the prow onto the dock. She disappeared into the bristling forest of masts that obscured the pier, forcing the dim outline of the strange woman left in her wake to fade and follow.

Hidé winced as inside the cabin breaking sounds started up again. But as Lin turned, intending to barge into the interior to break up the fight, she skidded to a halt on the wet deck. Because paler than pale Suzume was standing between her and Hidé. The fox held out a hand to the young God as if urging him not to follow Kiri.

"The sea is angry enough. Go back before she comes looking for you."

The fox entreated as his gold eyes turned at the cabin, hardening as they did.

"I will see to this."

Hidé looked for a moment like he was about to argue, obviously torn. His incandescent blue eyes flashed back at the land before fearfully turning overhead as if noticing the storm for the first time. Then he bowed his head, nodding in silent agreement. The young God flowed backwards to the bow of the boat, pivoting over the side in the way water might pour. Waves lifted with eerie calm beneath his beckoning hand, enveloping him as he disappeared fearlessly into the depths. As he went Suzume turned, striding through the cabin door.

 _"Holy s-shit!"_ Amano swore in hoarse surprise.

Two human-sized loud thuds rattled the boards of the desk and silence followed.

Then Suzume spoke.

"It is time to come home, Maboru," The God's frosty disapproval frayed as he forced himself to utter the next words, "Your mother is dying."

* * *

 **CHIHIRO**

Shouta and the others were right. Kou moved like nothing she'd ever seen.

Tucked against a pylon trying not to freeze her butt off, Chihiro watched in awe. They'd spent the last fifteen minutes hanging out under the train tracks listening to the sound of passing trains. Kou's face lit up every time a subway car went roaring overhead in a clicky-hissing rush, flooding the narrow pedestrian tunnel with violent gusts of wind. As if he couldn't help himself, he dove into the arctic blast of air, turning in tight sinuous circles as each divided around him. How he managed to keep up she couldn't fathom, because the gusts seemed to slow around him as if even it couldn't take its eyes off him. Then Kou laughed: high and clear and happily. Oh, how her insides shook at that sound! With what she wasn't quite sure, but as Chihiro tried to figure that out Lydia called. Turning away, she scrambled with her bag, yanking out her cell and making the eyes of her susuwatari lanyard roll in circles as she slapped it to her ear.

"What!?"

"Chihiro?" Lydia was taken aback, "It's almost 10. Are you alright?"

At once she felt like a jerk.

"I'm so sorry!" She called louder and louder as a train went hissing by overhead, "I totally lost track of time!"

"Where _are_ you!?" Lydia called back, worried now.

"Shinjuku," and Chihiro didn't know why she bothered dropping her voice, Kou couldn't hear anything over the train, "I… I met someone!"

She glanced up as gasps and excited chatter echoed in the tunnel as the train whisked by. And on the opposite side Kou caught the last of the wind. Chihiro's mouth fell open as he back flipped off the wall like it was a trampoline, landing with flying coat tails. Only as he came to stillness did he realize he had gathered a crowd. As all kind of people clapped, tightening in a knot around him, the poor guy shrank in surprise.

" _Don't worry I'll see you tomorrow bye!"_

Rushing down the tunnel she caught his arm and hauled him through the chattering crowd, pulling him out from under the train tracks onto the east side of Shinjuku. Again Kou came up short on the other side, throwing his head back at the massive high-rises that towered above the boulevard, leaning their bright billboards and flashing advertisements over their heads until she could hardly see the sky.

"They are so… tall! They appear so much smaller from above!"

"Did you fly into Tokyo?"

"In a way…" He was distracted again, leaning back further and further until again she could see his perfect teeth.

As they passed by the caustic red and blue electrics lighted arch marking the beginning of the Kabuki-cho (2) neighborhood a whole score of clubs, bars, and cafés flooded the streets with trendy hipsters, shockingly dressed women, and yakuza types. One closest to the entrance was blasting some j-pop techno. It was the kinda place Michio would've dived into with a victory cry. But the sound seemed to slam into Kou with physical force, knocking him bold upright and perfectly still.

"This music is… _strange_ ," he was paled with awe as he lifted a hand to his chest, "I feel it here."

Chihiro was more than tired and not in the mood for a club, but she was so intrigued by his delightfully weird reaction she had to ask.

"Never been to a club?"

"No," he appealed to her for guidance, "Should I?"

"Maybe not tonight. C'mon."

Smirking in spite of herself, Chihiro took his arm and pulled him in the opposite direction. In no time they stopped in front of the cheery two-story brown and orange exterior tucked into the foot of one of the high rises. Delicious smells of sweet sugar and yeasty dough breathed out the door as a group of school girls poured out the door and divided around them in a giggling mess. Kou ignored the girls, still frowning at the quirky English words floating over the door as if he was reading them. Maybe he was?

"How 'bout here?"

God bless Mister Doughnut. They were everywhere. Open pretty much all the time. And who could say no to a doughnut?

When she was still going to college in Nagoya Chihiro loved coming to Mister Donut. She had a donut punch card. After eating 100 donuts in the course of a single month she got a prize box. Inside was a donut pillow, a donut blanket, a donut mug she still had and used, and a mood light donut frosted in plastic. Push a button on the back and it turned red, then blue, then yellow, and green. Michio had promptly stolen it. That was the last Chihiro ever saw of the fabled mood doughnut. But beyond having cool corporate swag, importantly Mister Donut's was welcoming and not at all stuck up or expensive like some of the other late night shops they're passed. But for some baffling reason Kou was suddenly hesitant.

"Chihiro, I… I do not know what a donut is."

She blinked and blinked and the blinked some more. Then she dragged him through the front door, depositing him in front of the glass case. At once he sank to his heels as if he didn't know the meaning of clumsy.

"They are beautiful," Kou hushed to himself, "How is it that people eat such beautiful things?"

Chihiro struggled not to laugh, although as she looked inside the case she realized Kou was right. Doughnuts were beautiful in their own way, especially the crullers with all their curvy lines, pretty frosting, and sprinkles.

"Have you decided?"

The girl behind the counter all but disappeared beneath her mascara. How she could stand beneath the weight of it Chihiro wasn't sure.

"I would have the pink one…"

As if mesmerized, Kou's jade eyes remained fixed on the interior as he pointed vaguely. Apparently the girl's co-worker saw what he saw, because a pair of tongs flashed inside the case.

"And for you?"

"The honey old-fashioned and two cups of coffee."

Her nails clacked on the keys as the register beeped whirred loudly. Chihiro and the counter attendant both jumped as Kou was on his feet, leaning over the edge of the counter to inspect it with a curious frown.

"That'll be 950 yen."

The cashier flashed an uncomfortable smile, glancing between them as trying to decide if they were crazy or not. And the moment Chihiro reached for her purse Kou produced from his pocket what she was quite sure was his last 1000 yen note. She was about to protest when he turned gentle green eyes onto her. At once the words and pretty much everything else in her head just… stopped…

"Please," he murmured in the same quiet voice he'd used earlier, "I have been shown an undue amount of kindness as of recent. Permit me to share my good fortune."

Chihiro was stunned, because he was obviously broke and just making ends meet. But he wasn't insisting out of stupid male pride or the need to impress her. He simply wanted to be share. And she was learning that this was just the way Kou was. How could you say no to something like that?

Taking back his hand Kou lay the note in the money tray. A little pink in the cheeks just from watching, the shop girls glanced between Kou and each other with widening eyes. Apparently they'd just gotten past his appearance to get a good look at his face. Then they both reached for the bill at the same time, crowding the register. But Kou already had the tray, carrying it away from the counter without so much as sloshing the coffee before any of them knew it.

"Thanks," Chihiro muttered sourly.

As she collected the change as they began whispering like hissing cicadas.

"Did you _see_ that guy!?"

" _Oh-my-god_ , He's _so hot_!"

Surprised by her jealous reaction, Chihiro hurried away and tried not to hear the rest because a hot curl of dislike for the girls was kindling in her stomach. As she joined Kou at the drink sidebar he was carefully stirring sugar and cream into his cup.

Chihiro grinned, "I see you've had coffee before."

"Jae taught me the ways of this drink," He was smiling at his cup as if anticipating his first sip but then made way for her, "Do you enjoy cream and sugar?"

"Yup," she squeezed in beside him and doctored her cup, grinning in spite of herself as she remembered diner, "All of you guys seem really close. How long have you known each other?"

He straightened as if thinking.

"I have known Jae the longest. It had been three days."

Chihiro almost dropped the sugar, "Did you say three _days_?"

It easily could've been three years the way they acted. Unperturbed Kou nodded, searching the sitting area.

"When first we met I was sure he was quite mad. Jae, however, is simply in earnest at every moment. He knows not how _not_ to feel. Nor does he know how not to show such feeling. I envy him his candor."

Chihiro struggled to understand what he'd just said. It was some seriously deep stuff. But in almost the same sentence Haku turned one of his hands toward the hall leading to the second level.

"Shall we go upstairs? I would see the lights."

With a whole corner of windows to themselves, Chihiro watched as Kou picked up the chocolate-strawberry cruller. She struggled not to laugh as he put on his broken glasses with a solemn dignity, inspecting the pastry as trying to divine its hidden secrets.

As she watched him her heart swelled inside her chest to the point that she scared herself. Blinking rapidly, Chihiro sat back in her chair like someone might step back from the ledge of a building. Because she'd just met this guy. She'd just met him but it felt like she'd known Kou her whole life. And this was so totally strange and weird and crazy. But just as surprisingly, she didn't care. Because there was an undeniable attraction between them, one too strong and too mutual for her to pass by in spite of the fact that he was quite possibly the _weirdest_ guy she'd ever met.

At once Kou's jade eyes turned onto her bringing with them that eerie stillness.

"Is something wrong, Chihiro?" A pinch formed between his shapely brows.

"N-no," She lied quickly, sipping her coffee gingerly, "Just burned my mouth."

But almost as if he knew she was lying, the line between his eyes deepened. Then his gentle gaze turned helpless. He took off and pocketed his glasses, sitting back with slow regret as if he knew there was nothing he could do. Chihiro found herself at a loss beneath the weight of his eyes, because they seemed to look right through her seeing everything, even the things she didn't want him to see.

Kou jumped, at once pale and terrified as he held his donut at arms length.

A bit of the filling extruded from the insides as his fingers tightened on it.

 _"It spits!"_ He hushed in horror.

Chihiro laughed explosively, slapping her hands over her mouth. With her hand still clamped over her mouth she watched him cautiously put down the donut only to stare askance at the cream on his fingers as if unsure of what to do. Anyone else would've thoughtlessly licked their fingers. But not Kou. Cautiously, as if afraid it might somehow be poisoned; he brought his hand to his mouth and tasted the filling. At once his face wiped clean with surprise and he sat perfectly still and tall. His jade eyes turned to her full of such genuine astonishment.

"This…! This is _delicious!_ "

She knew in that moment he was telling the truth when he said he'd didn't know what a donut was. Then Chihiro watched him reconsider the pastry. Picking it up as if it was somehow sacred, Kou brought it to his mouth and took a tiny dainty bite. Again her heart squeezed to the point of pain as she watched him sit back in his chair lifting his chin into such wide smile of utter bliss his eyes fluttered closed.

He was glowing again, radiating happiness.

How was it possible for someone to be so beautiful?

Watching him was like watching the sky from the window in her Nagoya apartment. The view was the only reason she'd bought it. Endless blue and white streaked clouds; even when the sky was an angry black and pouring down rain; one look and she was filled with peace. She felt the same way every time he looked at her. And it was like she'd found something she'd somehow lost without knowing it. Putting her other hand in into her pocket, she found the shell with her fingers, once again staring at Kou half expecting him to disappear.

"This has to be a dream," She breathed through her fingers, half afraid she was right, "This can't be real."

At once Kou froze, then slowly put down his donut. Suddenly absolutely serious he leaned forward, disappearing beneath his hair as he put his hands on the table between them, bowing as if apologizing for something she couldn't begin to fathom.

"This is not a dream, Chihiro," he hushed gently, "This I promise you."

Feeling strangely lightheaded at the intensity in his voice, Chihiro closed her eyes, still half-unsure over what she was about to do. Because this was fast; _way too fast!_ But she was terrified that this really _was_ a dream. She was terrified she'd wake up tomorrow morning only to find out that he didn't exist, or worse, that she'd let this opportunity pass by. Taking a slow shaky breath, Chihiro put one of her hands on his beautiful hands.

"Kou?" She began just as quietly, "Will you come home with me tonight?"

Chihiro's insides tightened with dismay as she watched him startle. And she knew she'd surprised him, maybe even scared him. He was weird enough to probably be old-fashioned especially since a glance was all it took to make him blush. But before she could apologize, before she could do anything at all, he caught her hands, holding them with such care. They ere so warm and so very soft. They were also shaking as he breathed a single word like a prayer.

"Yes."

* * *

 **Notes:**

Read more about extreme Japanese fashion by wiki-ing Ganguro.

Kabukichō (歌舞伎町?) is an entertainment and red-light district in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan. Kabukichō is the location of many hostess bars, host bars, love hotels, shops, restaurants, and nightclubs, and is often called the "Sleepless Town" (眠らない街). The district's name comes from late-1940s plans to build a kabuki theater: although the theater was never built, the name stuck. - Wikipedia


	26. Chapter 26

**CHIHIRO**

Chihiro held Kou's hand the whole taxi ride back to Aoyama.

And it was okay that they lapsed into silence. It wasn't an awkward quiet she felt forced to break with idle talk. She was happy just to sit next to him. Kou spent the trip with his nose pressed to the window. And again Chihiro enjoyed spying on him. The glass kept fogging with his breath. He wiped it in earnest, periodically punctuating the hum of the car's engine with his polite questions.

"Pardon, Chihiro, but what is that?"

He pointed at looming red and white spire that loomed between the high rises.

"Tokyo Tower," she frowned, "You never been, huh?"

"No." Again he was too busy looking to be shy, craning his neck and earning a bewildered glance in the rear view mirror from the taxi driver.

And they were home in no time. Aoyama was just south-east of Shinjuku. Paying the driver, the red tail lights sent the gathering mists glowing crimson as she quickly punched her code into the front gate and held it open for Kou. Ghosting ahead of her, Kou stared up at the obscured face of her house. It looked kinda spooky in the dark as she fumbled in her purse, finally producing her keys and getting the door open because it was freezing! Thankfully the heater was going full tilt and a wall of warm greeted them as they entered. She shut the door hastily, locking it and re-arming the security system.

"Let me get your coat for you…"

Chihiro spun on her heel as they paused on the celadon green tiles inside the front door, feeling like a fool as she half undressed him in her haste to hang his coat in the closet. More than compliant Kou let her have it, relinquishing his hat as well. And she was glad to get the ratty thing off his head because it forced him to brush the hair back from his handsome face revealing he was pale with surprise. Chihiro blinked at the floor, finding his shoes neatly tucked against the lip of the entryway. She hadn't seen him take them off.

"It is so… grand."

Chihiro blinked again because already he was down the hall into the dojo. Kou moved on light steps, almost flowing without making a sound as he curiously glanced at the Tetris block strewn round the living room. He paused by one of the windows, bending from his waist to look out into the dark garden.

"Are there many living here?"

"N-no," it was her turn to be embarrassed because it was a ridiculously big house for two people, "Just me an' my friend Michio."

Kou shrank from the stair as if suddenly afraid.

"Is she at home?"

Chihiro glanced at the bat shaped dish on table by the front door. It was empty.

"Nope. It's just us."

He seemed to relax at that. And Chihiro was secretly ashamed for being glad that Michi was still gone. In spite of her speech about going out and sleeping around Chihiro was sure Michi would've given her hell for bringing a guy home. She probably would've grilled poor Kou within an inch of his life and that _so_ would've killed the mood. Kicking her shoes onto the entry tiles Chihiro paused at the base of the stairs.

"Make yourself at home, kay? TV's there an' the kitchen's through there. Help yourself to anything in the fridge," she pointed vaguely before waving at the ceiling, "M'gonna get out of my work clothes."

Without a word he sank to a seat on the couch. Through the slats in the banister she watched him cautiously poke one of the Tetris blocks, frowning as if not sure what to make of it. Grinning now, she hurried up to her room. Once there she ripped off her clothes and tossing them indiscriminately.

With tight anticipation churning in her stomach she tore about her closet, realizing much to her dismay that the sexiest piece of nightwear she owned was a black slip with a tummy control panel. And that was _so_ not sexy… For a moment she considered raiding Michio's room. But the Goth was so damn skinny she wouldn't fit into anything Michi owned. Even if she did poor Kou'd probably panic if she came downstairs in one of Michi's outfits. Coming out of her closet, she found herself pacing. At once Chihiro was uncertain, terrified and didn't have a clue what she was doing.

Her relationship with Karou had been awkward at best. He was her first and she didn't know anything about sex at the time. She'd just begun figuring herself out when he'd started cheating. And even though there'd been a relationship there, she didn't remember anything about her time with Hidé except what she'd constructed in the process of writing her story. She had _never_ in her life seduced anyone. Red in the face, Chihiro admitted she even didn't know how to begin seducing someone, especially someone like Kou.

Her insides cooled as she remembered how his hands had shook as he accepted her offer. He was afraid. Why was he so afraid? At once she went perfectly still, frowning as she considered for a moment he might be a virgin. Chihiro shook her head, making her hair fly out of her already compromised French twist pulled out.

Inconceivable! There was no way someone so sweet, and kinda, and… and… hot was a virgin!

No matter what backwater village he might hail from there was sure to have been some lusty young girl that'd dragged him off behind a barn or something to jump his shy skinny bones. Again heat was climbing into her cheeks as she sat on the foot considering jumping his skinny bones herself. At once thinking about his mouth hungry wanting tightened at the core of her body making her twine her ankles together. And she didn't care if this was something good girls didn't do. Chihiro didn't want to be a good girl or any kind of _girl_ anymore. She was a woman now. And she wanted to live.

Settling on a comfy pair of black drawstring pants and a matching tank, she pulled on an equally soft gray sweater and ducked into the bathroom. Hastily washing her face and scrubbing off all her make up, she brushed her teeth and combed her hair. It went soft as she brushed out the gel. Leaving it long she whirled away from the mirror too afraid to look. At once she went to the music box she'd brought from her parent's house and pulled out the shiny purple cord. Fishing the shell from her jacket pocket she threaded the loop and pulled it over her head, breathing a sigh as it warmed against her chest. As she stood her heart thrilled into her throat, making her breath come short and quick as her pulse raced.

With light steps Chihiro came down the stairs only to find the front room empty.

Stunned, she considered for a crushing moment that he'd run.

But then a noise came from the kitchen, flooding her with relief.

"Kou?"

She called ahead, pulling her cardigan closed over the low neckline of her camisole as her confidence faded. Coming into the bright kitchen she paused on the threshold. Kou was pouring hot water from the kettle into her Mister Donut mug with all the demure refinement the host of a tea ceremony might show.

"That's my favorite mug," Chihiro commented wryly.

"I thought as much," he smiled softly while returning the pot to the range, "Forgive the intrusion but the evening is cold and I thought you might enjoy some tea."

Again she was staring, because he was so… considerate. Karou would've had a beer in hand with the TV on and his feet propped on her coffee table. Shaking herself, she pushed the jerk's memory out the door in the back of her head while taking a seat on one of the stools tucked up to the bar on the opposite side of the kitchen island. Floating again as if gravity had no affect on him, Kou brought her the tea.

"T-thanks."

Chihiro cupped her hands around the mug, feeling the warmth bleed through the china into her palms. And she was watching him again. Whereas he had been unnerved by the rest of the house, here in the kitchen he seemed finally at ease. He did, after all, work in a kitchen. Kou swept his hand through his hair, struggling to keep it from his face. Watching it sift through his fingers, Chihiro found herself wanting very much to put her hands in that hair. It looked so very soft. But he wasn't looking at her no matter how intently she stared. Instead he was studying the tiles covering the walls and floor. Funny, they were the exact same color as his eyes.

"They are almost the same color," he murmured absently.

"Hmm?"

Kou started, instantly bobbed an apologetic bow and making her want to squeal. Pink in the cheeks he waved his hand at the floor.

"This kitchen is the same color as the one at my home."

Chihiro found herself smiling, somehow happy to hear that.

"Really?"

"They are the same size," he was studying the room again, this time with a critical frown as he turned in a circle, "The stove is in the correct spot, likewise the sink, the back door, the pantry, and… and the nook!"

Kou's face wiped with such astonishment as he spun on his heel and pointed at the table and chairs. The corners of her mouth twitched uncontrollably as Chihiro struggled not to laugh.

"This kitchen's the reason I decided t'stay. I could get a smaller place, but I like it too much to leave it," Chihiro admitted, still fighting a grin to sip her tea, "They say it's the heart of the house, the kitchen that is."

Kou still looking at the nook as is he desperately wanted to sit down. But he kept his distance. She leaned on her elbows, watching him with a curious frown.

"Where is home? You never did say."

"Far," Suddenly he was staring at the floor, "On the cliffs above the sea."

That was certainly specific. She tried not to snort because that description applied to about 95% of Japan.

"Do you have lots of family?"

If he had a kitchen as big as hers he probably did.

"Yes."

He wilted in the way someone with a big family would, making her laugh.

"I'm an only kid. I always wanted to know what its like to have a big family."

His face fell. The pinch was back between his brows as Kou crossed his arms, leaning against the edge of the island. Some seductress she was. Before Chihiro could apologize for prying, Kou spoke diffidently.

"It is… difficult."

At once he transformed, standing straighter and lifting his chin. He looked like an entirely different person as he remembered his home.

"My eldest sister rules our house. She is proud, strong, and easily angered. She brings out my worst and we fight often. I must admit she is almost always right and I do not like that." Kou's lips twitched as he fought a smile that faded into deep affection, "She, however, knows not the meaning of stillness and cares for us tirelessly."

"Her spouse is just as stubborn and half blinded by his pride. But never have I known someone so devoted. Though they love her, they do not get along with my younger sister. She is a trickster who can do nothing but play. She eschews all work and is a terrible drunk. But she dances like sunlight and brings nothing but joy in her wake."

He tossed his head as a smile became a grin.

"After them I have an aunt who is wiser than she puts forth; an uncle who is a complete idiot; several cousins young and not so young. They know not the meaning of silence but it has been long since I have heard their voices. Suddenly I cannot stand the quiet of their absence."

Fighting his hair, Kou twined a piece around his long tapered fingers.

"Then there is my house. She has squeaky floors and drafty rooms. Her kitchen is dark and smoky and her sliding doors never properly shut. Her blue roof leaks and her garden is weedy. Her halls are narrow and her closets small. But she is lovely."

Kou sighed heavily as if he was sudden tired.

"I miss my beautiful house on the hill beside the cypress and sea."

Chihiro was stunned. He talked about the place like it was a person, describing it as he had his other siblings until it came alive in her mind. He obviously loved them and she couldn't fathom why he'd left such a family behind for of all places _Tokyo!_ And she pressed forward without thinking.

"What could've possibly made you leave all that?"

At once Kou went marble white. His face shattered beneath the sorrow that drenched him from the inside out, weighing him down until he caught himself on the edge of the island as if he could hardly stand. Hastily he tried to hide beneath the ragged curtain of his hair, but the pain bled through his pinched features.

"I…" He whispered beneath his breath, "I lost someone."

All the warmth in the kitchen drained away as Chihiro watched in shock; because it was like looking at herself. She knew all too well what it was like to be driven away from home and family by loss. Before she knew what she was doing she was on her feet and across the emerald green tiles until her hands found his broad shoulders. Chihiro pillowed her head on the bunched muscles of his back, putting her arms around his narrow waist. She held him tightly finding he was so very skinny. She could feel his bones and he felt brittle beneath her hands.

"Sorry," she hushed, not knowing what else to say.

She couldn't stand to see him like this. He was so sweet and kind it just seemed so very wrong that he was suffering like this. But even as she held him Kou cringed, beginning to shake as if she was making things worse. Dismayed, Chihiro started to draw back only have him clutch her hands with his shaking fingers.

"Stay...!" He breathed in a ragged voice, bringing her to stillness.

His words were deepened by something intense and unknown. It seemed to touch a raw chord in her body, making her insides tighten with a stab of exhilaration. But the sensation briefly transformed to surprise as he turned so swiftly she hardly saw him move. A phantom wind hit her in the face, sending her stumbling back as the world went strange, because at once it smelled like rain. Disoriented by the clouded haze that was suddenly swimming around her head, Chihiro retreated even as Kou pursued, backing her up into the edge of the sink. Again moving faster than she could follow, he bent over her gripping the counter at her sides, trapping her between the iron bars of his arms and the crush of his body. But before she could even think to be frightened by his suddenly uncharacteristic advances the kitchen light haloed behind his head.

The light ignited an eerie fire in his extraordinary jade eyes that caught her like a snare. They stared out of his beautiful broken face unlike anything in this world. Chihiro's breath caught in her throat as she found herself drowning in the desperate adoration pouring from those eyes. The world came to stillness beneath the power of his gaze. As it had before, everything in her head just stopped. But her heart was hammering against inside her chest, thrilling up inside her throat until for a brief flash it almost hurt. But Chihiro didn't feel it.

All she could feel was the heat radiating from him. It soaked into her thin clothes as she realized with a giddy thrill that his body was crusted against hers. And the smell of rain intensified on another bizarre draft until she realized it was him, probably some kind of cologne because mixed inside it was the scent of strong healthy male. As she breathed it in her insides stirred as if touched by an electric shock, making all kinds of sultry demands she would be only too happy to fulfill.

No longer worried about seducing him, Chihiro lifted her face, leaning closer as Kou raised his hands. But for some reason they hesitated inches shy of touching her face. She would've reached up and grabbed them, but her arms were pinned between them, flatted on his chest. Chihiro could feel the frantic tempo of Kou's heart beneath her palms, just as she could feel the longing fraying his labored breath. Baffled, she watched as for some inexplicable reason Kou drew back, dropping stricken eyes to his hands and staring with such a look of alarm. His lovely finger tightened into fists as he shut his eyes, gritting his teeth and bending over them as he took another step back, leaving her panting against the sink. Chihiro half clung to the lip of the counter to keep upright. And she felt colder than she'd ever been in her life in the absence of his warmth.

He was going to leave. Chihiro could see it in him. And there was no way she was going to let him.

Throwing herself forward she tossed her arms around his neck and yanked him down to her with all her might. She surprised him, which was probably the only reason she succeeded, because he was much stronger than she was. His eyes flew wide Chihiro kissed him. Running her hands up the nape of his neck into his silky hair, she molded herself again his body, reveling in his heat as she moved her mouth on his.

At once Kou's knees were trembling. They folded, spilling him to a ground at her feet. That only made things easier on her. He was so tall when standing but now his face was right in her range. Cradling his head in her hands, Chihiro kissed him until she had half bowled him backwards, making him wrap his arms around her waist to keep from spilling back onto the floor.

Those arms tightened to the point that her ribs creaked but she didn't care. Insides her chest a riot of elation had broken loose and she couldn't begin to understand where it had come from. She didn't need to understand, because she was kissing his cheeks, his forehead and finally his closed eyes as all the while he clung to her making soft desperate sounds. But even as Kou yielded his hands remained clenched into knots in the small of her back.

"C-Chihiro,"He gasped against her lips, "I…?"

She smothered his protest; invading his mouth with her tongue, drinking up the sound until it was silence. Chihiro bent him beneath her ardor, driven by the mounting urgency, because she wanted him with a sureness that gave her the confidence to kiss him like this. She wanted him to look down at her like he had before while he was inside her. She wanted his hands on her naked skin. And she didn't care if they'd just met. Lust burned in her gut, gripping in every inch of her body and making her want him even more because of it.

Kou obediently lifted to his feet as she pulled on his arms.

Silently taking him by the hand, Chihiro led him from the kitchen.

Up the stairs he followed her, up the stairs into her bedroom.

* * *

 **HAKU**

His knees wobbled; legs so ropy he could barely stand.

But still he followed.

As they had parted so had they meet again.

Haku, however, had not expected _this_.

After he found her on the street Chihiro followed him back to the restaurant, and he was elated by her interest. Here was a chance to become formally introduced. Here was a chance to no longer be a stranger in her world. But he had been astonished as in the course of minutes her attention progressed from intent curiosity to brazen attraction. He felt Chihiro's gaze burning against his skin the whole evening. And he knew not what to do! Though he hated to remember it, Chihiro and Hidé spent some weeks together before their intimacy progressed. He had been under the impression that human courtship was a matter of time and could go on for years; but apparently not so. Though they had been only recently introduced, she asked him home! That she had done this still shocked Haku.

But he could not deny her. Helplessly he had followed for here was everything he wanted. Here was everything he hoped and dreamed of. But after an evening of carefully chosen words and chastely holding her hand, it was too much to feel the raw warmth of her body pressed so close. The fabric of her clothing was like paper. Her scent overwhelmed him to the point that he lost himself if only for a moment. But even as he tried to flee she seized him, _kissed_ him. Shock emptied his head in its wake of her passion.

And Haku could do nothing but obey.

He closed his eyes as Chihiro guided him to a seat on the foot of her bed. She pressed herself close once more, putting his arms around her tiny waist. And he trembled as she gathered him to her, pillowing his cheek on the small rising swell of her chest. He could hear the furious tempo of her heart within.

"I… I frightened you," he stammered in dismay.

She chuckled low and easy. Oh, how his blood surged in hot exultation at that sound! Slowly he melted as her hands smoothed over his face until the tight pinch between his eyes soothed if only slightly.

"You just surprised me s'all. You're really… fast." She paused if something she said made her unsure. "Is _this_ too fast for you?"

As he held her close trying to understand what she was asking he turned his face into her chest, breathing in the sweet clean smell of her body. Oh, how lit such a _fire_ in his blood! He knew this fire far too well. When first his ties were cut it bothered him not. But since then it had driven him to do terrible things. Again as it surged through his veins his body acted of its own accord.

His hands flattened on the small of her back, running up under her filmy shirt until he touched her burning bare skin. Desire struck him a physical blow at the contact, at once smoldered between his legs, sending the strange bit of flesh there tightening and hardening, blinding him with throbbing wanting. Haku drew in a sharp breath, pulling her closer until she was pressed against the length of him. Feeling what he would normally struggle to hide, eagerly she responded.

Her soft persuasive body drove him back against the coverlet. She spilled on top of him, urging his hands higher. At once he was light headed with panic because _these hands!_ Shamelessly they ran along the sleek sides of her ribs, circling round until they danced up her flat stomach to her small breasts. Like green peaches they filled his hands with soft firm swells. She gasped aloud in a sound soaked with pleasure as he cupped and squeezed, tossing her head as her trembling arms folded, sending her falling onto him.

At once the fire set him upon her. Chihiro's jolted wide as her back met the bed and the weight of his body fell over her. But even as heat raged in his blood with lust screaming in his ears demanding to be fed, her wide eyes cooled his mind to clarity. Because this was not at all what Kubi had forced upon him; he loved this woman more than rain and rivers; he loved her more than the touch of wind and the kiss of sky. He would _never_ do anything to hurt her.

"Too fast?" He hushed nervously, repeating her words.

Chihiro only blinked. And his insides quaked as her lovely chin lifted invitingly. As she had earlier, Chihiro captured him by the front of his shirt and pulled him onto her. Burying his face in her shoulder, breathing her hair, nuzzling and tasting the salt on her neck, his hands roved her back. At once her knees spread beneath him, cradling his hips as they folded up on either side of his body. Again desire assaulted him as one of her calves hooked up over his hip and bare skin met skin on his back. And as if he had been hit from behind he collapsed onto her, but Chihiro was happy to be crushed.

"Tell me again I'm not dreaming," She begged softly.

"You are not dreaming, Chihiro."

Haku was struggling to think as at once he was light headed.

"Promise?" Her voice caught in her throat, "Because when I'm with you I feel like I'm dreaming. And if I am dreaming I don't ever want to wake up!"

At once Haku went perfectly still. She had no way to know they had done so, oh, how her words wounded him. He was no longer a dream. He had followed her through hell itself to this place of horror. Now he was real. He was with her. Why then would she still want to sleep!? Even as confusion breed bitter sweet tears to burn his eyes, closing his throat with pain, fire sent him twining against Chihiro, urging him not to think anymore, directing him instead to feel. In despair Haku ceded, turning himself over to his mortal body. And at once there was nothing but her.

Chihiro uttered a wordless cry as he shifted his against her in a slow sliding motion full of suggestion, making her grip his head as she arched off the mattress. He drove his hands between her and the bed, rolling again, bring her upright. At once straddling him, pressing down on him with her delicious weight and flushed with desire Chihiro struggled to be free of her sweater. She was tangled in short time and laughing at her ineptitude. How his insides sang at that sound! He would never tire of it. And Haku helped her out of the garment, which she threw as if she could not stand it. Next she tore off her shirt, tossing it with equal abandon.

Her soft sweet skin pickled with a shiver as she looked down at him from beneath messy curtain of her ebony hair. How she was beautiful! He showed her thus with his eyes, making his thoughts plain as he gazed back. And Haku ran his hands along the tops of her bent thighs only to jerk back as something shocked the fingers of his left hand. At once a frost seemed to wash over his bones, chilling even the fire if only for a moment. He had forgotten about the mark the Forgotten had left upon her. How such a thing was possible, Haku did not know. At once Chihiro slapped her hand to the top of her leg as if trying to hide what already lay hidden beneath the fabric. Her hair fell in front of her face as her thin shoulders tightened.

"I… I have a scar," she began as if ashamed, "It's… um… kinda _scary_."

Haku was dismay by her embarrassment. There was no shame in the mark she bore. To Haku it was a reminder of her strength for she had conquered what even Gods dreaded. The same evil had marked them both. Without comment Haku took hold of the hem of his shirt, pulling it over his head before lying back against the coverlet and letting her see. Chihiro blinked; confused at first, but then she saw them. Her face wiped of all expression before tightening with such shock. She had seen them before but only in dreams she did not remember. To Chihiro, however, Kou was real and now she was seeing his scars as if for the first time.

"I am not frightened by scars, Chihiro," He breathed quietly.

As she had in the dream, Chihiro reached out with tentative hands to touch the claw marks left upon his flesh. Haku closed her eyes as slowly her fingertips danced across his stomach, tracing thrilling lines of exhilaration through his insides. He jolted, grasping handfuls of the blanket as her hair spilled across his chest, heralding the arrival of her velvety mouth. Tenderly she kissed the white lines one by one. At once his eyes squeezed shut, making pleasure explode inside his chest as white lights fill his head. She kissed the hollow of his solar plexus, sending him arching against the mattress as she moved lower to nuzzle his stomach. And a low moan escaped his lips as she mouthed the sensitive skin beneath his navel.

"Have you been tested recently?"

He knew not the meaning of her strange words as she murmured against his belly, tickling the soft hairs of his skin. Her hands tugged at the knotted rope at his waist, pulling it free and sending a shock through his nether regions as her fingers brushed him ever so slightly. Every bone in his body dissolved for a moment, sending him limp against the coverlet.

"Ah!" Again he was having difficulty thinking, "T-tested?"

Summoning every shred of self control Haku forced his eyes open, sitting up on his elbow to look at her. Chihiro was kneeling between his legs propped on her hands, looking up at him with the unsure expression she wore whenever he did not understand.

"So… you haven't been tested," She repeated almost shyly now, "You should, especially if you've had sex with multiple partners. Um… h-have you?"

Sex. The word burned in his ears even as it sent an eager pang of anticipation vibrating through him. Had the blood in his body not been occupied elsewhere his cheeks would have burst into flames. But instead Haku paled at her question, dropping his eyes to the pale blue blanket trying not to ponder whether or not there had been anyone else in this bed beside him.

"Chihiro… I…"

Haku was forced to swallow as his mouth had gone terribly dry. How was he to say this? How was he to explain the inexplicable? But most terrible of all, how could he confess to the woman he loved the transgressions he had committed with Kubi? At once terrified he accepted there could only be truth in this moment.

"I… I have kissed another."

It was not a lie. He had kissed Kubi. But she had stolen from him each small piece of intimacy. In a rush he continued for this was not a lie either. It was, however, uncomplicated enough that he hoped she would understand.

"But never have I shared with another what I share with you now."

Chihiro's face went blank.

"Y-you're serious?"

Haku could not bring himself to answer. Still staring at the coverlet he nodded.

"How is that even possible!?" She was so very shocked, almost angry but certainly not with him, "You're so sweet and… and kind, and damn sexy _!_ Don't they have _girls_ where you come from!?"

"There was one. But I lost her," he murmured quietly, "She is the one thing I cannot find."

Sitting up over his bent knees as sorrow slowly smothered the fire inside him Haku found it very strange to speak of this to her. But with her he could not be anything but honest. And in a way this was not Chihiro. It was as she said in what felt like ages ago. There were two inside her. Sen slept while Chihiro woke. It was a terrible thing to be so very close and yet so far.

Haku jumped and his thoughts dissolved as Chihiro's hands slid up his bare arms. Glancing up he found she had gathered between his feet, staring up at him with such a gentle expression of understanding. And it was impossible for him not to reach for her in return. But already she was reaching for him.

With renewed enthusiasm they crashed against each other, spilling back against the bed. The dying coals inside him flared hotly as Chihiro easily undid the fly of his pants. Surprise struck him to trembling stillness as her hands dipped inside, freeing him to the cold night air. She had touched him like this before in a dream but only briefly, not at all like this! Her hair spilled across his bare skin, making him lift off the mattress with a hoarse cry as her mouth claimed him, _all_ of him, for her own. Again he cried out, at once crushed beneath the intense pleasure her mouth bestowed even as fear threaded through him, because this was _entirely_ new! But it frayed and broke as the warm wet friction of her lips coiled him tighter and tighter until he was teetering on a seemingly endless brink. Haku could hardly breathe as he was forced to surrender to the overwhelming corporeal sensations, half sobbing beneath their power.

At once she drew back, suddenly unsure, "Is this okay?"

"I…" He panted breathlessly, struggling to find himself as truth spilled from him, "I do not know! I have never done _this_!"

She seemed startled by that, murmuring ruefully.

"Some seductress I am..."

Hearing disappointment hidden beneath the jest, Haku covered her hand, appealing in earnest, "You are not at fault, dear one. I am a poor lover."

Her lips quirked as she sat back on her heels.

"I'm rusty and you're brand new. I think we need to give ourselves a break."

"I am told practice is necessary," Haku lay back with a weak smile, "Let us try again in a moment. Until then may I hold you?"

Such a look crossed her face as he opened his arms, but she seemed glad to indulge him. Slipping out of her pants she lay beside him naked, pillowing her head on his bicep as she pressed her back to his stomach. As he closed his arms around her he tried not to stare at the hand shaped burn on her thigh. It was terrible to see it, terrible to remember how close it had come to stealing her from him. Chihiro's body, however, was a lovely distraction.

It burned against his as he breathed in the smell of her hair, smoothing his palm back and forth along the tight cradle of her hip. All the while her small hands ran up and down the carved muscles on his opposite forearm, curling and uncurling as they browsed his skin impatiently. But he knew from the coiled tension between his legs it would be short moments to a finish if they were to join now. And there was still too much he wanted to learn. To his dismay he hardly remembered the first time they had been one, so fraught was he with the newness of his body. The second had been quick, almost stolen. Now they had time aplenty and he was not ready for their quiet intimacy to end.

Her breath quickened and she pressed back against him as if wanting him closer. Emboldened by her response, Haku planted small kisses on the nape of her neck, gathering enough courage to speak.

"Are there ways I might return the pleasure you have given me?"

She tossed her head as he gently mouthed her ear's edge, leaving the soft skin of her neck exposed. He ran his nose along the curve of her shoulder, reveling as she twitched, and it was a moment before she spoke.

"So you did enjoy that?"

There were no words for _that_.

"Yes," he murmured ardently, "So much so I knew not what to do with myself."

At once pleased, Chihiro was grinning though he could not see.

"Good! That's the way its s'pposed to be." Suddenly she was whispering as if shy. "There's something similar for girls."

"Show me?" He entreated quietly.

Slowly, timidly, she guided his hand across the flat expanse of her stomach while one of her calves hooked around his, both anchoring and making room. A tremor went through her body as down his hand ventured, making his insides spin with dizzy anticipation as it followed through the soft thatch of hair at the center of her body until his fingers were parting a way through the mysteries hidden there. She cried out much as he had, knocking back into him with such strength he was momentarily startled. He almost jerked his hand away. But curiosity and a passionate desire to know her in this way kept him with her.

"Like this?" He hushed against her cheek as he chased the tips of her fingers, circling and discovering the velvety pearl he had not known was there.

"Y-yes!" she stammered as she ran her other arm backwards around his neck, taking back her guiding hand to clutch his hip, _"Ah, yes!_

Chihiro arched against him, surging rhythmically as he followed the path she had shown. Entranced by the secrets of the female form, He journeyed the rise and ebb of her body. Shifting his other arm beneath her, Haku tightened it around waist as he clasped her to him, holding tightly even as she bucked and struggled. But he would not let go. He would never let go. Gently yet persuasively he quickened his pace as he felt the approaching tremors he had known once before. They would bring her such exquisite pleasure, this much he was sure of.

Turning her face into his neck Chihiro clenched her eyes shut, making such delightful sighing sounds that it was impossible for him not to kiss her. And she seemed surprise as finally the tide crashed over her, bringing her to sudden stillness. Her lips formed a perfect circle beneath his as her eyes flew wide. At once they went unfocused beneath the power of the pleasure he had brought her. Such joy it brought him.

" _Oh…! Oh, God, Kou!_ "

The name hit him physically. It was a half-lie that broke his heart, reminding him that even now in this moment of completion Chihiro remained out of reach. Her body might remember him. She, however, did not. The realization was devastating. But then her arms were winding around his neck. She turned in his arms, kissing him as she had while awake. And through his despair the fire in his blood chided him for his sorrow.

What did it matter if she slept?

So long as he could love her he would gladly follow in this dreamer's wake.


	27. Chapter 27

**HAKU**

He did not realize he had fallen asleep until he woke. The lights had been turned out. Somehow he had found his way beneath the downy comforter. Softer and warmer by far, was Chihiro. As the fog of sleep cleared from his head Haku found her in the bower of his arms. She was heavy with sleep. Her tangled hair spilled over his bicep, fanning out on the pillow they shared as it mingled with his. Though the circles remained beneath her eyes, the pinch between her brows had eased, her lovely features composed with rare peace.

As he stared such love teemed in his heart until it was welling inside him, filling his chest and the whole of his tiny body until it blurred his sight, escaping through his eyes in rivers of his own making. Because this… This could not be real! He doubted his senses, doubted his fate; because through such terror and trial he had passed to reach this place. Now that he was here, he was terrified it was not real. But lifting a shaking hand, gently, almost afraid to touch her, he laid his palm against her cheek and found her sound.

There were no words for the grateful awe that found him in that moment.

At his touch Chihiro sighed against the bare skin of his chest, making him shiver at the thrill it sent through him. The fire's still smoldering coals stoke petulantly as they had yet to be sated. Haku, however, paid no heed to its call. Wiping the tears from his cheeks, Haku went still as his eyes fell on Zeniba's thread. The twined cord was iridescent with magic, threaded through a loop of gold encircling one of his scales. The hard shell felt like a piece of ice where it pressed between them. Haku glanced at her wrist and found Chihiro had removed the bracelet that Hidé made. Chihiro, however, she still wore his scale. She had cried over its loss. What that meant he was not sure, but it had to mean something.

Unfortunately, at that moment his body made it known it required the bath. Frowning and more than reluctant to disturb Chihiro, Haku turned his attention to the distant doorway only to have his eyes drift over the room. Books and shiny tiny treasures a child might favor lined the shelves as a desk sat in front of the large window. And his attention sharpened, because every inch of the wall around it was plastered with Satako's drawings. Suddenly confronted by his former self, Haku fell perfectly still as he stared at the dragon floating on sheets of white.

How cold that creature's stare seemed to him now. How proudly its horned head lifted as if it had never in its life known true fear. The dragon, after all, was a most powerful God. But what the picture did not show was the coward that hid behind those arrogant eyes. This great God, this master of water and wind, was little more than a cowardly, selfish, thief interested in nothing more than himself. This God had no friends. This God had betrayed and abandoned. Most of all, this God knew nothing of love or suffering. With deep chagrin Haku pitied the God his ignorance.

A sympathetic Kami might pity Haku similarly; worrying over his constant fear; his seeming descent into helplessness; lamenting the loss of his God-self. Haku's insides stirred with dignity as he refused such pity. True, his knees were feeble and his spindly arms flightless, but he was still uncannily fleet. True, danger at which he would have once scoffed now struck him such terror, but with wit and cunning he survived. Though his own people rejected him he had found new friends and forged his own family. And with each day's passing he thought less of his lost claws. He missed his tail less and longed for the sky less and less. Because this God, this stony dragon with blood of ice and windy thoughts, would _never_ know what Haku knew now. He would _never_ touch with such fervent feeling the woman that lay asleep in his arms. And as he turned his face into Chihiro's hair, holding her with such reverence, Haku regretted nothing in the choice he had made.

Red moved beside the bed, giving him a start. But it was only the clock. In glaring red lines it showed a time he did not want to see: 4:12 AM. Yester morning he had begun work at Le Pichet around 5:00AM. He must leave immediately to arrive on time. Tightening his arms around Chihiro, Haku pulled her close as the thought of leaving made tears prick his eyes. Chihiro stirred, sighing sleepily as she snuggled closer, opening and closing her fingers on his bare chest.

"Chihiro," he breathed desolately, "Chihiro, I must leave you now."

"Hmmm?"

She stirred, eyelids fluttering as she roused. Oh, how lovely she was in that moment with her wild hair and the barest clouds of sleep still dreaming in her dark eyes. Staring blearily at first, slowly her face fell as finally she seemed to hear what he said. A frown turned her lips into a rounded bow he very much wanted to kiss.

"But it's still dark outside."

That she did not want him to go gave him such joy.

"I begin work very early in the day."

Shyly red crept into her cheeks, "Oh. Um… Would it be too soon to see you after work?"

Haku hesitated, "What of your book signing?"

"S-shit! I _totally_ forgot about _that!_ " She knocked her head into his chest, giving him a start as she sighed gustily, "I'm really not looking forward to that. It'll be a late night. I don't have the faintest idea when I'll be done."

"May I accompany the others then?"

Chihiro surfaced with a hopeful frown, "Really?"

"As you said, perhaps during the festivities we might… hang out?"

The borrowed words felt strange on his lips, but they brought Chihiro happiness

"That'd be _so_ great. It'll be so nice to have some people there I _actually_ know."

Slowly her voice deepened with desire as her hands flatted on his chest, badly eroding the will he had summoned to aid him in leaving her bed. She blew at the fringe of his hair, tickling his eyelashes, making him blink as sultry thoughts crowded his head.

"Maybe you could follow me home?"

Haku could not refuse her mouth as the corners turned up into a smile. In an instant the kiss turned hungry. Far too easily he pressed her back against the pillows as her lovely legs folded up at his sides, squeezing his hips as her nail drew gently against his back. Breathlessly he broke free, hanging over her at arms length. And he flinched as she sat up into him, wrapping her arms around his middle much as she had on the stone in the large pool that terrible wonderful night back at the Onsen. By some mercy she did not beg him to stay, otherwise he would have yielded. Sitting back on his heels, he drew her with him, holding her even more closely.

"I must go."

Chihiro sighed, "I know."

"Rest now."

Haku could not bring himself to implore her to sleep as he collected her face in his hands so he could kiss her forehead. Chasing by her eyes at every move, he dressed quickly. Chihiro looked terribly sad as he stood, even though she struggled not to show it.

"I'll see you tonight, okay?"

She seemed uncertain almost as if worried he would not come.

"Yes," he bent to kiss her once more, "We part only to meet again."

Chihiro kept his hand until the last moment. Her fingers slipped from his much like they had ages ago. Haku did not look back. He did not need to.

His heart was full and light as he glided on silent steps down the stairs to where his shoes and coat waited. Then urgency reminded him of his need for the bath. After a quick stop the door beeped as he exited, giving him a fright as he shied out into the frosty gray light. His feet skidded on the walk, making him fall to stillness. Ice covered everything in a glassy slick for heavy fog hung over the world, freezing in the bitter cold. Lifting his head to gaze up into the mire of gray that was the sky, Haku realized with mounting dismay that there was no way he could float back to Ueno. Though the compass would point him in the correct direction he would not see anything of his surroundings. He could barely see the front door for the mist was so thick. And given the height of the structures that stood between him and the restaurant, travel by way of umbrella was not a wise decision. Coming through the front gate he found the streets equally obscured. The short apartment complexes loomed over him in the gray like primordial behemoths, windowed eyes dark with sleep.

After drowning in such noise the silence was eerie.

Nothing stirred in the pre-dawn. Not even Gods.

Taking his compass from his pocket, Haku peered closely at the face. But as the arrow pointed the way to the train station, Haku realized he had no money left to pay the fare. Close to panicking, he searched his pockets once again finding them empty. As he searched again he shoved his hand between the folds of his tatter cloak, reaching father than would seem possible. In that moment his hand touched something he had almost forgotten. Glancing around even though he was sure nothing could penetrate the fog Haku pulled the motorcycle from his pocket. It landed on the blacktop in a creaking thud.

Astride the vehicle, trying not to look at the empty sidecar, Haku put on his broken glasses and studied at his compass. The needle directed him north east and he frowned. It was an unlucky direction. Not without a cringe of regret for the humans he might wake, the metal beast roared and clattered to life as he kicked the start bar, letting the engine grate and cough as it struggled to warm itself. Reaching out, he flicked on the light, creating a tunnel of white ahead of him as the mist reflected back. Gunning the clutch and releasing the rear brake as Okesa had showed him, the motorcycle crawled forward. And the motor growled beneath him, smoother now as he found himself grinning. Because floating high above the ground at the mercy of an umbrella was not nearly so enjoyable.

This, however, was the closest he would ever again come to flying.

Faster Haku drove the motorbike, faster and faster until frozen wind blew right through him, billowing the tail of his jacket, tossing the hair from his face as he leaned low over the bar with a laugh thrilling on his lips as it felt almost like he could soar right up off the road. Glancing again at the compass he followed its lead through yellow pools of light punctuating the fog flooding the deserted main avenue. He knew not where he was headed until the pavement suddenly lifted from the ground, turning sharply as it funneled him onto a wide expanse of uninterrupted road so abruptly he almost careened into another vehicle.

A horn shrieked in the fog as the motorcycle's tires squealed on the icy road. And the metal bulk beneath him shimmied his heart flew into his throat, snapping the world into such clarity. The magic in the glasses let him peer through the fog to see the disaster almost upon him. Haku banked hard, punching the brakes and deftly maneuvering round the car as it roared by, red tail lights glaring back at him through the flog. And had he been anything else than what he was, had he not had the aid of such magic, Haku was quite sure he would have struck that car. Blood roared in his ears as sound forced its way through his shock. Faint and sick to his stomach, Haku drove a more sensible speed. Apprehensively peering through the wall of white, he cringed from the cars rushing by. All glared back at him with unnerving red eyes, snarling and buffeting him with the snarling stinking wind of their passing.

And he was all too grateful as the needle guided him off the elevated road onto quieter side streets. There were more and more cars now, huge trucks and other motorbikes. Hunched and bundled against the cold, a thin straggle of humans slowly traversed the icy sidewalks. Overhead the fog lightened enough to let him recognize the tall buildings ringing the wide stripped intersection heralding the entrance to Ueno Park. Wild relief surged through him as the compass needle pointed him down a narrow alley he would have missed it not for magic.

At once the motor bicycle's tires vibrated against the all too familiar cobbles, engine echoing off the close stone walls as the headlamp illuminated the shack that had once been his home. Cutting the ignition as he rolled to stillness, dark silence flooded the alley. Quaking with cold, Haku stared up the steep hill to the building's murky outline. The restaurant windows were dark, though a faint red glow gathered atop the stairs. And he was so very glad to see her familiar face.

"H-hello, Chouchin," Haku called merrily through chattering teeth.

At once she faded to a sullen blue, hissing at him between the ribs of her body with her guttering tongue of flame. Spinning away, obviously angry with him for staying out all night, the lantern floated out of sight as if pouting.

"Chouchin?"

Oh dear…

Haku hurried after her, quickly surmounted the stairs though they were thick with ice. But she floated higher as he reached for her, loitering beneath the eve in front of his apartment window. Frowning, Haku climbed the stairs and let himself in. Kicking off his shoes, he was at the window, opening it as again he reached for her, trying to ignore the height below him, reaching for her pleadingly.

"Please, Chouchin? Please come inside?"

A rosy color spread over her face as the God light dipped towards him, letting him collect her from the air. He released her into the rafters, hurriedly closing the window as his breath plumed white in the air. All the cold of night seemed to have invaded his tiny apartment in the thin seconds the window was open. Shivering convulsively he huddled by the brashly humming radiator as it kicked on with a rattling cough. But the tiny red glowing coil seemed woefully slow to produce any heat. As he waited he slowly felt himself relaxing, because this tiny room was so very comforting. Chouchin bumped against the crown of his head, making him smile.

"Apologies for leaving you alone but, unfortunately, I will be gone again tonight."

Her wick crackled as if scolding and she paled blue, rocketing into the rafters and angrily circling the dark electric bulb. With a sigh Haku frowned up at her.

"Please do not be angry with me, dear Chouchin." He cajoled solemnly.

His endearments turned her momentarily pink, but still she refused to come down, so he left her to haunt the rafters. Testing the clothes he had draped over the chairs by the heater, he found them dry. Hanging his hat and coat on the hook by the door, Haku shucked his clothing. Chouchin sputtered again as he did, turning a ruddy red as she fled to the top corner of the ceiling, turning her face into the corner. He laughed at her as he squeezed into his tiny bath.

Feeling like a giant, Haku had to bend to keep his head from hitting the ceiling as he washed in the hottest water he could stand, reveling in the steam filling the room with warmth. Luckily there was already soap in the bathroom. It was harsh and left his skin feeling dry and tight but clean. Unfortunately, however, there was not a towel. So many human things he would need to procure, so very many. With dripping hair and clothes plastered to his damp skin, Haku barely had time to gulp a cup of water in his tiny kitchen before the grocer honked. Hat, coat, and shoes on in a blink, he skated down the stone steps to the truck parked below.

" _H-holy…!"_

The driver, a balding man quite diminutive in size, gaped as Haku alighted on the cobbles as if he had fallen from the sky. As the human choked on the explicatives Haku bowed, in too good a mood to be bothered by his wall-eyed stare. The man lost the glowing cigarette tucked into the corner of his mouth as he clung to his open door.

"Good morning," he motioned to the back of the truck, "I shall unload now."

Warm now from carrying stacks of boxes so heavy no mortal could have lifted them unaided, Haku had the truck unloaded in a matter of minutes. And he bowed again from the top stair as the human looked up at him like he was some kind of demon.

"Thank you for your service, grocery man. I shall see you on Monday."

Still at a loss, the fellow bowed shakily and climbed back into his truck, still staring through the windshield as he carefully backed down the alley. Turning to the dark windows of _Le Pichet's_ kitchen, Haku glanced up at the sky and realized though it was growing nearer to dawn Jae had yet to appear. The back door was locked and Haku had been forced to stack the day's sundries beneath the eaves. Frowning as he eyed the perishable items, he reached into the breast pocket where his tatter cloak held his mask and other things, withdrawing the heavy ring of keys. His frown deepened as he studied their number, then turned his glasses to his nose and looked again. One gleamed like gold in the midst of mud. Separating it from the others, he fitted it into the lock and turned it smoothly.

Retracting the key, the door swung open of its own accord and Haku reached inside to flick the switch. Light bounced of tiles and chrome as the winking bars overhead flickered to life. Haku returned the keys to his pocket and stood for a moment in the doorway. Shaking himself, Haku boldly carried in the groceries as if he belonged. He did, however, rely on his glasses to divine the proper location of each. As a result he learned the location of the spices, the meats, the vegetables, fruits, dairy, and dry goods.

Flattening the boxes, he added the cardboard to the dry leaves still piled in the courtyard out back. Jean Paul had instructed him to burn them. Glancing about to see if anyone was watching, feeling a fool for doing to, Haku knelt beside the heap. Under usual circumstances it would be impossible to burn such a mess of wet material. He, however, was anything but usual. Withdrawing the flint and iron Onsen had given him, he struck stone against metal, sending a shower of incandescent sparks over the leaves. They ignited like dry tinder, making him stand and step back as slowly the fire spread over the mound, bathing him in warmth as the fog clouding the courtyard reflected back the light.

Mesmerized, Haku watched the dancing red yellow tongues.

As if burned, the mist retreated from the heat.

And as his mind turned back to Chihiro a different heat crept through his body.

" _Hah!"_ A crow's call came from overhead, _"Hah, hah, hah!"_

Haku barely heard the sound of wings over the crackling hiss as a dark shape stooped out of the trees. A black shape landed on the opposite side of the fire, but it was Karasu who straightened over his bare feet. Shivering convulsively, making all the bits of flotsam hanging from his shoulders jingle and clatter, the bird hurriedly sidled up to the fire, crouching as he held out his hands as if hungry for warmth. Haku noticed the God's hat was missing and the comb of his shaved head stood up in a perfect fan of blue-black. Such awe lightened the bird's young face and he nearly melted in relief, spinning to hold the tails of his coat apart so he could cozy his rear to the blaze.

"Don't you just _love_ mortal fire," he sighed blissfully, "It's so _warm_!"

"Good morning, Karasu," Haku found himself smiling, "Where is your hat?"

"Lost it."

The crow tried to sound off hand, but there was something hidden in his sour moue that dampened Haku's good mood. Before he could ask the God's mischievously black eyes flashed to the apartment as Chouchin lit the glass with her pink face.

"Hah!" Karasu crowed in excitement, on his feet and frightening the lantern away as he pointed to the second story, "That your nest?"

"It is." Haku reluctantly divulged the truth.

"Lucky, lucky, lucky!" Karasu chortled enviously peering askance at the kitchen light as if they were too bright, "You might stink o' magic but in there you're invisible."

Haku frowned, "What do you mean?"

"S'cause of the lecticity," the bird pronounced the words slowly as if it were foreign, "Old school kami can't stand the stuff. S'why spiders only come out at night."

Haku fell still. Spiders: the word alone was enough to send his insides tight with frost. Oblivious, Karasu prattled on.

"You humans have lecticity hummin' in your blood like the wires," he waved at the power line leading into the back of the building, " _Hah!_ I hate landing on those! They give my feet the _heebie jeebies!_ But most humans are so decked out with tiny devices you radiate the stuff. S'why you're safe so long as you got something lectric. Mortal fire's good too, scares the _shit_ outta 'em. S'why t'spiders only take humans who don't have either, or worse, Gods who're stupid 'nough t'be out in spider territory after dark."

Here a bit of the God's earlier apprehension bled through. Worried now, Haku studied the bird's troubled face, trying to quiet the questions burning on the tip of his tongue. This was none of his affair. He had no business becoming any further involved in this matter. But he could not help himself.

"Where do they come from?"

Flat footed, Karasu hunkered down over his knees watching the fire with uncharacteristic stillness. His dark eyes were so large they seemed to swallow the light.

"Dunno… All's I know is they come from the north east."

Again Haku glanced in the unlucky direction, finding nothing but dark trees. He shuddered and looked away, distracted again by unanswered questions.

"Once you mentioned they came at the call of what is in the cavern beneath us. What is below that there draws them here?"

As Karasu opened his mouth a tiny voice piped from behind the bird.

"They seek Garuda."

Again the name rang in Haku's ears like a terrible bass bell, putting him unsteady on his feet. But in the same moment Karasu started to his feet in blind surprise. In a flustering gust of wind and feathers that sent the fire guttering, the young God was suddenly hiding behind him clinging to his arm, giving Haku a start.

" _HAH!"_

The bird in Karasu emerged beneath his fear. Inky feathers fletched his coat until it seemed it was not a coat after all. More feathers dappled the God's hair as he bobbed his head warily, peering at the new-comer mistrustfully. But it was only Bozu. Standing on the opposite side of the fire looking as if he had always been there, the tiny goblin was dressed in his usual traditional robes but had forsaken his conical hat. Instead he wore an all too familiar black bowler that was worse for wear. It was badly dented and slightly singed. All the same Karasu was pointing at it and sputtering furiously.

" _Shhh!"_ Bozu glared with his single eye, "Stupid bird is always too loud!"

"Hah-hah!" Karasu croaked, reverting to his human state, "That's _my_ hat!"

"My hat now." Bozu lifted his chin challengingly, making the hat slip because it was to terribly big for his head, "Stupid Bird must not want it if he left it."

Karasu stamped his feet, shaking with wrath.

"I didn't _leave_ it, you rotten little pip-squeak, I'm lucky I got away without loosing more!" Karasu hissed and clacked his teeth, glancing about nervously, whispering now, " _Spiders_ almost got me!"

Haku was stunned, "They attacked you!?"

Karasu bobbed his head nervously; sinking onto his heels again as he peered up at him so pale he could have been a ghost's. Now that he was closer and lit by the fire Haku could easily see the young God's eyes were ringed with exhaustion.

"A whole fuckin' mob got into my tree last night! Would've been _toast_ if not for Kubi-chan!"

"Kubi?" Haku breathed her name.

At once he was still as he remembered the bite the woman bore on her leg. Haku assumed she had come by it through foolish means. That he had so misjudged the former kami left him cold with shame.

"No shit, brother, she saved my ass!" Karasu's face wiped with awe as the truth spilled from him, "I'm not proud about it, but I took off! Never been so scared in my life! Lost my hat in the process, _so_ _give it back, you one-eyed little twerp!_ "

Karasu threw himself at Bozu, capering and chasing as he struggled to take back his bowler. Haku shrank from the dying fire as they clambered by. But the little goblin was far too fast, ducking and dancing around his reaching hands always a step out of reach.

"I keep hat! _Punishment!_ " Bozu scolded, "Stupid bird's fault Kubi-san got hurt!"

" _W-what!?"_ Karasu came to a standstill anxiously molting feathers. At once stricken, the bird appealed to the yokai he had just been chasing, "Is she alright!?"

"She is," Haku cut in quietly. His breath lifted in a white mist as he hugged his arms against the cold that suddenly blew through him. Bozu flinched as he pinned the little kami in place with his heavy gaze, "Where is Kubi now?"

"Safe," The goblin's only eye shot to the ground as he wormed his way around divulging the truth, "I come say thank you. Kubi-san very, very, important. Bozu owes you much. Much, much, much…"

Suddenly the little yokai bowed to him with great formality, kneeling and pressing his forehead against the stones. But before Haku could question him on his admission the bowler rolled off the kami's head. Karasu dived for it, catching it up in a shadowy fluster of feathered wings as he swooped. In a blink the bird was perched on the eves, leaning out over them and laughing uproariously.

"Give back! My hat! Mine!" Bozu cried aloud his frustration as shot to his feet.

" _Hah, hah!"_ Karasu taunted with a grin as he held out the bowler and wiggled it before stuffing the hat onto his head, "Not anymore, pip-squeak!"

"Stupid bird is _mean_!" Bozu stamped his tiny clogged foot, sniffing tearfully, "Mean! Mean! Mean!"

With that the goblin disappeared. One second he was there, the next he was gone.

"Wait!" Haku called after him, "Come back, Bozu! I have questions!"

Much to Haku's dismay the yokai did not return. Coming around the dying fire to search the hillside he found the icy slope empty.

"Hah!" Karasu clicked again, "Whatcha wanna ask the pip-squeak?"

Struggling not to be irritated, Haku found the young God peering into the kitchen, cocking his head from side to side and craning his neck curiously. Not without a lick of apprehension, Haku divulged the truth.

"I want to know who this Garuda is. I have heard the name far too many times."

Karasu blinked, glancing back at him with a long frown.

"Dunno, brother, but I haven't been in this park long. I'd ask Kubi but I bet she's mad at me," the bird's shame was palpable; "I'll ask Grandpa Bean next time I see him."

Haku blinked, "Who?"

"S'an old kami who lives in Shinobazu pond. He's been here longer 'an Kubi. He'll probably know."

Before Haku could press him for more information slyly the young God's dark eyes slide to him, "So, brother-mine… Got any food?"

At once Haku's insides tightened wistfully. Something in Karasu's antics reminded him very much of Okesa. Perhaps it was their mutual love of food or their shameless jest. Regardless, there was no way he could deny his request.

"Come," Haku motioned at the kitchen door.

Karasu's dark eyes nearly swallowed his youthful face as he hopped over the threshold, half crouching at Haku's feet as he shut the door. The kami cocked his head to stare sideways at the room, awe struck as light gleamed off of a thousand shiny surfaces. Haku took off his coat as it was much warmer inside. Putting a hand to his head he frowned, finding the ends of his damp hair had frozen into icy clumps.

"Hah!" Karasu stood straight and shook himself, at once rapt as he legged around the room, inspecting everything, "What's this place anyway?"

"It is called a kitchen. Humans cook here for other humans by way of profession," Haku called back as he went to the cold storage.

From the larders he collected under the instruction of the magic spectacles all the ingredients Jae had used yesterday to make eggs and toasted bread. The glasses jerked him to a standstill as they fell on the gleaming aluminum bulk of the espresso pot. This he gathered as well, along with the savory burned beans, sugar, and cream necessary to make the drink. As he came out of the pantry Haku found Karasu had traded a colander of his bowler, trying to catch a glimpse of his reflection in the polished chrome counter. Haku stared pointedly as he came to one of the cooking stations. At once red in the face, the bird yanked it off and stuffed his head back into his hat as he loitered closer.

"You are welcome when I am present. Please do not trouble the humans here."

"Wouldn't dream of it, brother."

But judging from the bird's amused smile Haku was not so sure.

Karasu watched him with barely bated anticipation as Haku struggled to follow the silent hints the glasses gave him. Working from memory, he beat cream into eggs, added delicious spices before placing the skillet on the range.

" _HAH!"_

Karasu fled in a blot of whispering wings as Haku turned the dial, bring the blue fire to life inside the metal grate with a hollow _woof!_ Equally startled, he whirled and searched the kitchen only to find the bird peering around the back door with a white face.

"S-shite, brother!" Karasu crept back inside, "You _are_ a wizard!"

His first attempt as real cooking was more successful than Haku had hoped. He only slightly burned the fluffy slices of toast, but the eggs looked almost exactly like the ones Jae had prepared. Putting the espresso pot on over the burner to wake, Haku served the crow a generous portion of the eggs. Karasu snatched up the plate the moment Haku held it out, dancing out of reach as if afraid he would have to fight to keep it, hunkering down to eat with bare hands.

" _Hah!"_ The bird exclaimed, shaking himself in a jingling rattle as he stared back with the same wide-eyed awe from earlier, "S'delicious! Way better 'n _ramen_!"

Coming from the bird, that was quite the compliment and Haku's insides glowed at the small triumph. As they ate he watched the espresso pot with great anticipation, but again the insufferable wheels of his mind began to turn in a direction he was loath to go.

"What did Bozu mean when he said Kubi is important?"

The bird looked up revealing his bulging cheeks. He swallowed without difficulty, as if used to gorging, growing sober as he did so.

"In the old days when this world still belonged to us every river, lake, and mountain had its master. I s'pose Kubi's the closest thing we have to a master here."

Haku blinked, "What do you mean?"

Karasu pointed at his hat with a diffident grimace, "She's the only one brave enough to stand up to dogs and spiders. Without her things would be a lot worse."

Leaning against the stove, watching steam curl from the mouth of the espresso pot, Haku could not help but remember how Kubi had almost come to her end not far from where he stood. His insides cringed as he remembered the hate in Aki's gold eyes. Why did the dogs hate Kubi so? How could they want to kill her if she protected the kami here? There must be some other reason beside the fact that she was unwhole. At least now he knew why the spiders pursued her.

He had seen the bell Bozu carried. It had opened the gate at the head of the cavern tunnel and he could not help but wonder what else that bell could open. Again wheels were turning inside his mind, propelling him towards something that remained just out of reach. Kubi had told him the spiders sought to free what the dogs were intent on destroying. Whatever that was remained locked away beneath their feet. Obviously the bell was the key to that mystery. What was it? _What!?_

Haku sighed angrily, pinching the bridge of his nose, because this was none of his affair! He had no business asking such questions nor should he be concerned in any way for Kubi's well being. He had enough problems being human and he had just found a way to return to Chihiro's life. He need not embroil himself in the quarrels of Gods. But curiosity; oh terrible, terrible curiosity; it would not leave him be!

"You okay, brother?" Karasu clicked his teeth, "You're all, um, _windy_."

Haku blinked, straightening only to realize an anxious breeze was circling his feet. Just then the espresso pot began to hiss, yanking him free of his mired thoughts.

"I am fine," he lied smoothly, already turning for the cup case.

Haku nearly dropped the two mugs as Jae slouched through the velvet door leading to the restaurant's seating area. Though the human was dressed in a rumpled chef's uniform looked as if he had worn it to sleep.

"Who t'fuck are you talkin' to, Kou?" He yawned loudly.

With raucous calls a crow beat the air in the courtyard, taking off into the peach dawn as suddenly the back door swung wide. It slammed against the wall hard enough to make the pots and pans in the room give a shuddering clatter.

" _HOLY SHIT!"_ Jae rushed to the threshold, pale as snow as his breath plumed in the frozen air,"Did you _fuckin'_ see that, man!?There was a… a _guy_! He had ah fuckin' hat like my grandpa used to wear! But then there was a big fuckin' black _bird!"_

Jae snatched a feather off the floor, holding it out as he returned with all kinds of questions in his wide disbelieving eyes. It was then that Haku realized they were not brown, but instead hazel, ringed with a circle of silver so pale it could have been frost. Hastily Haku poured a cup of coffee, thrusting it into his face.

"I made espresso! Drink before it grows cold!"

Jae accepted the cup of espresso eagerly. He did not, however, relinquish the feather.


	28. Chapter 28

**LIN**

Listening to the distant whisper of more snow, Lin sighed gustily.

Her bed was empty and it was impossible to sleep after what happened last night.

Done trying she struggled upright; wincing as one of the kits kicked and swished inside her belly. But the youngling settled the moment she began moving, pulling on her padded haori and glad for the tabi socks Onsen had produced from her linen closet. Cold breathed through the house's walls as the storm from last night froze over their heads, making the thin dawn beyond the oiled paper sliding screens seem impossibly bright. White was falling in thick curtains, obscuring the garden and the fields as she crossed the covered bridge connecting the God Wing to the mortal house.

Although her breath did not plume white like a human's might, she hurried for the kitchen's warmth, groaning irritably as she lurched down the back stairs. The weight of the kitlings was _killing_ her back just as it made her legs swell and her feet ache. And she would've gone to the bath wing for a soak in the big pool if the light hadn't been on, illuminating the stranger sitting in the nook.

Maboru seemed just as surprised as she was. Mrs. Nikkou's son wore a blue checked flannel shirt and canvas pants so worn they had gone gray. He stood hastily, making the bench scrape against the floor as his gaze glanced off the scars on her face only to fall on her missing arm then her belly before shooting off to some corner of the kitchen. In her shock Lin had forgotten to hide herself. Putting his hand behind his head, the human awkwardly smoothed his hair just like Hidé used to do. The too familiar motion brought a surprising kick of sadness to the wall of her heart.

"Good morning," the human began at a loss, "I, uh, take it you work here?"

"I do." Lin couldn't lie.

As Onsen gathered over them, bringing an uncomfortable tension as she looked on in silence, Lin was struck by the uncanny resemblance between father and son. They were the same height and the same build. They had the same way of standing slightly stooped with widely planted feet as if they expected the floor to suddenly pitch and roll at any moment. They had the same rough hands, wide shoulders, and burly arms. And though they had the same board features their similarities ended in the human's eyes. Maboru's were dark in color and mood as if everything in the world annoyed him. His brooding disposition bled through into his tanned face, which was lined with unhappiness and tight with anger. Beneath his fishing hat the short crop of black hair under his hat was shot through with silver that gleamed beneath humming bulb.

"You're probably wondering what t'hell I'm doin' in here. You should know I used to live here," he spat gruffly like it mattered, "Suzume brought me last night an' put me up in one of t'front rooms."

Lin already knew all this. The fox had gone with the human last night, escorting him off the boat as Lin and Tomoe watched from the shadows. Though she waited in the freezing rain until she couldn't stand it, Amano hadn't come out after them. Peering through one of the portholes she found the broken nosed human sitting at the galley table with his head in his hands and thought it was probably a good idea to leave him alone. She had told Kai in short terms what'd happened then fled through the portal before he could ask any questions she'd be forced to answer. Poor kid.

Where the ghost had gone since then she wasn't sure. Glancing about she looked for an out of place shadow as Maboru sat down, scowling at the table before glaring at her from under drawn brows much like many of the town folk still looked at her. Gawked was more like it, like she was some kind of rare bird.

"You're too tall to be from Izu. Where're you from?"

This time she remembered to answer a question with a question.

"Did you sleep well?"

"I didn't," he muttered, "From the look of it neither did you."

Lin gritted her teeth, trying not to bite as the human read her like a book. And He was pissing her off to no end with his righteous self pity. Maboru was still staring, making Lin more than anxious. She almost went to get Aniyaku. The slippery frogman was far better as dealing with humans.

"Are you close to my mother?"

His curt question caught her so off guard she was forced to answer.

"I care about her, if that's what you mean."

Done with playing nice she glaring before turning her back on him, going to the sink and filling the electric kettle and struggling not to throw it. If he wanted to be an ass he could be an ass but she wasn't going to put up with it because he wasn't a guest.

"Suzume says she's dying," Maboru muttered sullenly, "I've known him all my life an' I know he never lies."

"He doesn't," Lin couldn't help but bite back because she did not want to talk about this, "So it's a good thing you came home."

Maboru was quiet after that, so quiet Onsen shifted beneath Lin's feet, settling uncomfortably. At once she sighed, bending over the sink and ashamed of her outburst, because this was exactly the kind of anger she was trying to avoid. It was the same anger the human turned on her just as he turned it on the rest of the world, desperate to pick a fight with someone, anyone, so he could stay angry instead of feeling the pain and loss hiding behind his sad dark eyes.

"Did you know my son?" He demanded as if speaking the word hurt him.

"Yes," Lin straightened, calmly looking out the back window at the snow.

"What about t'girl? T'one who bought this place? Didja know her too?"

Lin blinked, frowning sharply and suddenly unsure of where this was going.

"Her name's Ogino Chihiro. I know her better than most."

"How's she doin'?" Maboru's genuine concern was startling, "Sagi made it sound like they were really sweet on each other when I called on t'hospital."

Lin turned to face him, finding the human soberly staring at his clasped weathered hands. But as she continued to gape he was back to glaring from the corners of his eyes.

"Don' look at me like m'ah lump of coal, missy. Even coal burns."

Hastily turning away, Lin went about making tea with her only hand a steam roiled up from the spout of the strange plastic pot parked on the green tiles of the counter like a tiny white God with a single glowing red eye. Carefully measuring a tick of matcha into two mugs she whipped each to a foaming froth, carrying them over to the table on a tray. Putting one of the vessels in front of the human she sat across from him with a grimace, forced to perch since her stomach no longer fit in the nook. Again he was looking at the swell of her belly with a sharp frown.

"Kiri's pregnant," he stated the obvious with a scowl, "Is it Amano's?"

"Aren't you blunt?" She returned sharply to avoid answering.

Maboru wrapped his hands around his mug as his shoulder's tensed with anger.

"He better be serious 'bout taking care of that girl. I've seen 'im fuck up before."

Lin snorted, "You're one to judge. You've messed things up pretty badly too."

"What t'hell do you know?!" He shot back, "You're not even from here!"

"I know what I see, Maboru."

Lin met his glare calmly. At once he was back to staring as if not sure what to make of her.

"Who are you, anyway?" He hushed uncertainly.

"You tell me?" She returned his question with another ominous question.

Slowly something crept over him as he leaned back, turning his face to the side so he could look at her from the corners of his eyes. His disquiet grew stronger and stronger with each passing second. For a moment Lin almost thought he could actually see her for what she was.

"Good morning, Maboru. I see you have met, Hayashimi."

The human jumped bolt upright as Suzume pushed his way between the split curtains wearing his old man guise. And there was no need to act as he was gaunt with exhaustion, nearly transparent. Lin struggled to her feet, wordlessly offering the second cup of tea she had made out of habit.

"Thank you, beloved."

He accepted it; drinking deeply and gaining some color before leaning into her, making her want to throw her arm around his neck and hold him close. But she couldn't because Maboru was watching, once again baffled as the fox drew back. He spared a loving hand for the kitlings stirring in her far too full stomach before finally glancing at Maboru.

"Reika is still asleep and I would not wake her," calmly he gestured to the front hall, "Walk with me, child. We have much to discuss."

* * *

 **HAKU**

"Morning!" Shouta crowed.

Haku and Jae jumped in unison, shrinking as the tiny fellow traipsed in the back door pulling Kenka by the arm. They were bundled against the cold and beneath their coats they wore the starched white jacket and checked pants of the kitchen's uniform.

"Tch," Jae hastily straightened, turning to stir sugar and cream into his cup, "What t'fuck are you two doin' here so early?"

"Is that _coffee?!_ "

Shouta's eyes went wide as he scrambled out of his coat and scarf, hanging them on the back hooks before rushing to fetch a cup. Kenka, however, was still looking out the back door, letting cold air stream inside. The tall human was frowning.

"Dude, there's a motorcycle parked by the shed. Should I call a tow truck?"

"That is mine."

Haku answered quickly, at once afraid of whatever a tow truck might be. He shrank as all eyes turned on him. Nervous of their scrutiny, he began to babble.

"Er… What I mean is it belongs to a friend. I… I had not the means to return by train this morning"

Shouta blinked then such a grin stole across his lips as he stared with knowingly.

"A _friend_ , huh? You must've been out _all night_ with this friend."

"Dude!" Kenka began explosively with uncharacteristic surprise, getting tangled in his scarf at the back door, "You went _home_ with her, didn't you?!"

Haku's mouth dropped open as all the blood in his body flooded his face. At once Shouta was jumping up and down in excitement much like Fuu.

" _I told you so! I so told you!"_

"Dude, I'm the one who pointed it out to you!"

"Are you two shitting me?" Jae cut in incredulously.

Shouta was grinning, "Oh, Chihiro was _all_ over him…"

"Kana was so pissed," Kenka chuckled wryly.

"Oh, yeah?" Jae threw back, jealous if only for a moment.

Then the mad man rounded on him so swiftly that Haku recoiled as the human got right up in his face, pulling him close and muttering as his dark eyes gleamed gleefully.

"I gotta know, man… Didja _fuck_ her?"

Oh, the language of this human! Haku sputtered hoarsely.

"Good for you, man!" Jae laughed right in his face, clapping him on the shoulder as if congratulating him, "She's stinkin' rich an' ah hotie too! Dontcha just _love_ those tight little skirts office chicks wear?"

Oh, such anger found him then!

"How _dare_ you insult Chihiro! You are _unworthy_ to speak of her at all let alone in such base and shameful tones!"

Tearing himself away and absolutely furious, Haku balled his fists, ready to strike the human for all his vulgar insinuations. But Jae threw up his hands, genuinely apologetic as he shrank and not without a hint of fear.

"Jesus _fucking_ Christ, Kou! I was only _joking_ around!"

Though fury clouded his head and boiled in his veins, Haku's blood cooled as he realized he might seriously injure Jae if he struck him. However uncouth and ill-worded he may be, Haku counted this human a friend. Sick to his stomach with the memory of the cold blood still staining his hands, abruptly he subsided.

"I will not have you joke about Chihiro in this manner."

" _Fuck!"_ Jae gave him an unsettled frown as slowly the tension between them broke, "Rivers run seriously deep with you, man, know that?!"

"You have no idea," Haku muttered dourly.

Turning on his heel and ready to rake all of Ueno Park to keep himself from the kitchen, Haku came up short as he encountered the solid wall Shouta comprised. How was it possible that such a tiny being could occupy such space? Unfazed by his outburst, the human pinned him into a corner as he advanced loosing a torrent of questions.

"What'd you do after the restaurant? What'd you talk about? Do you have a lot in common? What was her house like? When are you going to see her again?"

Suddenly Haku had an inkling of why the humans had arrived at work so early. "Details, Kou!" Shouta frowned impatiently, "I want details!

What was he to say? How could he explain any of what had happened? How could he tell in words what it was like to both prevail and fail in the same breath? There was no way to describe what it was like to love someone so completely only to loose them in the same heartbeat. An ominous thrill crept up his spine as Haku's eyes lifted over Shouta's head. Kenka was staring at him with such a penetrating gaze. Last night the human had turned a similar glance between he and Chihiro. A cold wind blew through Haku's insides for Kenka seemed to see far too much.

"Leave him alone, Sho," Kenka cut in mildly.

"But…"

"Enough," The tall human went sharp, "You're upsetting him."

Shouta glanced at him in confusion as something began to dawn on him. As it did a sorry frown pinched his face.

"Holy shit, man!" Haku startled as Jae thrust the skillet into his chest, leaning over it to shovel another fork-full of eggs into his mouth, "Did you make this!? It's _fuckin'_ awesome!"

"Really? I am _so_ hungry." Shouta stole the skillet from Jae, "Want some, Ken?"

"No offense, Kou, but m'not feeling too good this morning. I do want coffee."

At a loss, Haku stared after Kenka as he pushed by, finding him a bit pale as he heading for the cupboard just as Megumi flowed through the velvet door wearing her peacock coat. Like the rest of them beneath its hem was a pair of checked pants. She had to sidestep to keep from running into the tall human, flashing surly glare in his wake.

"Morning princess," Kenka drawled without looking back.

Orbited by humans and still feeling slightly off kilter, Haku retreated from the haughty female's path, heading for the sink though there were no dishes to wash

"Good morning, Megumi-san."

She glanced at him with a inscrutable expression only to come up short as Jae rounded on her, pointing right in her face.

" _Ha!_ " He laughed explosively much like Karasu had, striking a ridiculous pose, "You'll _never_ fuckin' guess what you miss out on last night!"

Giving him a withering glare, she side-stepped around his finger and went to hang her coat on the hooks at the back of the room. She looked even more imposing in her white pressed jacket with her hair pulled up into a tight bun. Crestfallen, Jae dropped his hand, looking after her forlornly.

"Aren't even curious, Meggie?!"

"No," she turned her back, "And don't call me that!"

Megumi did, however, accept the plate of eggs Shouta gave her as he served the meal Haku had cooked. With fear coiling in the pit of his stomach Haku watched as she took a delicate bite only to blink and call after Shouta.

"What did you put in this?"

The little human glanced back at her with a sour frown.

"What do you care?"

Haku clearly saw the hurt in her dark eyes seconds before they flashed with anger.

"Don't be such a bitch, Sho. I was just gonna say its good."

"You feelin' okay, Meg?" Jae teased in all seriousness, "'Cause you just said something nice."

"You're an asshole, you know that?!"

Slamming the plate down beside the dish station and making Haku cringed for fear it might break, Meg spun on her heel, making her way to the pastry station. Kana pushed through the velvet door as Megumi stalked by, giving the plain-faced human female a fright as she was forced up short. She and Fuu were dressed in their uniforms as well: white shirts, black ties, black skirts and black leggings. Ashamed of himself, hastily Haku looked away for Kana had very shapely knees.

"G'morning?" Kana called uncertainly as if testing the waters, waving Fuu back as the child-woman crowded at her elbow.

"Good morning, Kana-san." Haku answered from the dish station.

"Hi, Kou!" Fuu called happily from behind her.

"Hello, Fuu-san."

 _"Oh, my God, Fuu!"_ Shouta effused as he rushed forward, forcing Kana to slip by else be trampled by the tiny chef, "Are you so _excited_ you can hardly stand it!?"  
She caught his hands as her eyes filled with stars, "I washed and ironed everything last night! We're all set and we're _so_ gonna win!"

With barely suppressed squeals they jumped up and down together. Cringing, Kana disappeared into the office beside the dish station only to call back crabbily.

"I can't believe you two are getting so giddy over a stupid kid's book."

"It's not a kid's book!" Shouta shouted hotly as he flooded the doorway to the office, stamping his tiny food, "It's a classic piece of literature that defined and continues to define _our_ generation!"

"Jeez, Sho," Kana sounded stymied by the human's enthusiasm, "Why dontcha tell me how you really feel?"

Megumi looked up from pounding dough with a wooden rolling pin, obviously intrigued. She caught Kenka's sleeve as he emerged from the pantry with a bag of potatoes.

"Neh, Ken?" She muttered beneath her breath, "What are they so work up about?"

"I thought you didn't care what happened last night, Meggie?" Jae called loftily from across the kitchen.

He was at the back station decimating onions with a briskly flashing knife, these went into a copper kettle that hissed and sizzled. Haku was hard pressed not to go investigate the pot for it was sending up plumes of such delicious savory caramel smells. Fuu, however, was incapable of keeping a secret.

"We met Ogino Chihiro last night!" She exclaimed joyously.

Haku frowned as Megumi stood bolt upright at the name much like he might have. Her rolling pin hovered mid air.

"She had diner with us and I poured her a beer and she's so cool and nice and she gave me her _card_ and we're gonna get VIP passes to the book signing tonight and _we're so gonna win that costume competition!"_

As if infected by her glee Shouta seized Fuu, waltzing her around the kitchen in graceful turns as she followed laughing aloud. At once the ill mood that had hung over the room a moment prior broke beneath the bright sun of the human's cheer. But the light was short lived as at once the dawn flooding through the back windows blotted out as Chef Jean Paul jerked the back door open, filling the archway so completely it seemed to bow beneath his weight. Like guilty children the humans fell still beneath his scathing glare.

" _Que-c'est-qui se passé ici, eh!?"_ The Frenchman thundered, _"Allez faire cuire, imbéciles!"_

" _Oui, chef!"_ The kitchen called in humble unison.

They scattered like ants as the floor shook beneath Jean Paul's approaching feet.

"Good morning, chef," Haku turned and bowed respectfully.

"Good morning, little cabbage," the fat man's face lightened as he flashed a gold-toothed smile, sniffing at the plate Megumi had abandoned, "What is this? Omelet, eh?"

He claimed it at his own, chewing thoughtfully as his eyes brightened.

" _Bon!_ Good work, whoever made it," he announced to the room at large.

Jae grinned at him across the kitchen. Haku dropped his chin as, indulging his pride for a brief moment. As he did, and for the first time in a long while, Haku felt like he belonged.

"I want omelets for brunch," Jean Paul stabbed a pudgy digit at the stoves, turning away with a swiftness that did not seem possible, "Vegetables and herbs, _mes petites!_ Remind our customers that summer still exists somewhere in the world!" The Frenchmen boomed gaily, "And for lunch red wine  & rosemary! We have lamb today!"

" _Oui, chef!"_

Haku called along with the rest of his friends, turning to the sink ready to work.

* * *

 **CHIHIRO**

Somewhere downstairs a door opened and closed.

Chihiro jerked awake, staring uncomprehendingly at the sunlight was pouring through the window. Glancing at the clock the digital face announced 10:03 AM. Last time she looked it said 5ish. Ugh… That was way too early to be awake. She'd fallen asleep almost immediately after Kou left. Throwing herself back against the pillows, Chihiro rolled over onto the side of the bed he'd occupied and buried her face in the pillow. Gods, it still smelled like him: rain and healthy male sweat. Grabbing it, she wrapped it around her head and breathed in deeply, barely resisting the urge to squeal and kick her feet because she was going to see him again tonight!

Then the coffee grinder went off downstairs, reminding her of why she woke up. Throwing back the covers Chihiro hastily got dressed, all the while shouting out her door.

"What the _hell_ , Michi! You've been gone _two fucking days_! You didn't return any of my calls or texts! _Oh, my God!_ You're never gonna believe what happened last night!"

Pounding down the stairs into the kitchen, Chihiro skidded to a standstill on the tiles as Lydia switched on the coffee pot. Not for the first time Chihiro was envious of how put together her personal assistant looked. Dressed in a creamy silk blouse and a pale beige wool skirt, lipstick and pearls made her look classy and not like she was trying too hard. But then again, Lydia was well into her thirties so her sophistication was earned not borrowed.

"Good morning," She smiled warmly.

"M-morning." Chihiro squeaked like a mouse.

Chihiro cleared her throat as she climbed to a seat at the kitchen island's bar only to find herself staring at the cold cup of tea Kou had made for her last night. At once she was absolutely red in the face as Lydia went about making toast.

"I take it you and Michio are fighting?" She inquired in a light tone.

"Uh-huh," Chihiro sighed gustily.

"She's done this before if I remember correctly," Lydia continued.

"Yeah," Chihiro wilted sadly, "She takes off when she's mad."

Lydia switched gears, cutting to the chase as the bread popped out of the toaster.

"So who is he?"

Chihiro jerked upright, almost falling off the bar stool as her personal assistant put butter and strawberry jam on the bread, fixing a cup of coffee with cream and sugar before delivering both. All the while Chihiro gaped at Lydia, trying to figure out how she knew. Her personal assistant's eyes flashed with mirth and her smile grew tight as if she was struggling not to laugh.

"You told me on the phone last night that you'd met someone."

"Oh…" Chihiro wilted again and this time in relief.

Straightening, Chihiro gratefully sipped her coffee only to glance at Lydia as she sat beside her at the bar. Her personal assistant looked at her sideways with atypical awkwardness.

"It's really none of my business; you're my boss after all. But like I said yesterday, I'm also you're friend and this is a pretty big deal for you."

Lydia didn't need to elaborate; her sober frown was explanation enough. And Chihiro shied from the fact that she'd been in mourning pretty much up until recently. It'd been four months since the accident; four months since the guy she'd apparently been in love with, but couldn't remember, _died_. And somehow four months felt like four years. But the guilt that'd been there after her last failure of a date wasn't there this morning. In fact there wasn't any guilt at all.

"Chihiro," Lydia's eyes were gleaming with excitement that made her look ten years younger, "The suspense is _killing_ me."

Grinning so hard her face hurt, Chihiro ducked her head much like he had.

"His name is Kou."

"Kou…?" Lydia circled her hand obviously wanting a last name.

Chihiro blinked, realizing she didn't know it. Putting down her coffee, hastily she spilled out what she did know because she _so_ needed to talk to someone about this.

"He's tall, _way_ taller than Kataama. And what a body…!"

Lydia laughed outright, covering her mouth and sitting back in her chair.

"Oh, I should not be listening to this! This is such a breech of professionalism!"

"Do you wanna hear about this or not!?" Chihiro demanded tetchily, hiding her face in her hands she was so embarrassed.

"Yes. Actually, I do," Suddenly Lydia was waving her hand impatiently and looking ten years younger, "What does _Kou_ look like?"

Chihiro did not miss the teasing emphasis Lydia put on his name. She was seriously enjoying this.

"He's _gorgeous_ , I mean, seriously gorgeous, like way prettier than Karou and that's saying something."

Lydia blinked then scowled, "I never liked that guy."

"Yeah, Karou's an asshole," Chihiro tossed her ex out the back of her head and pressed on, leaning closer as she explained.

"But the thing about Kou is he doesn't know he's hot. He doesn't dress well so you wouldn't know he's there unless you look. He's so shy and he's got all this _hair_ that gets in his face so you can hardly see him! I want to give him a haircut _so badly!_ "

Chihiro waved a hand in her face fighting a laugh.

"Without trying he could _so_ be leading girls around in droves! But it's like he doesn't know how to lie! He's honest and sweet and polite and… and… And you should hear him _talk!_ I dunno if he's from some weird mountain village where they don't speak normal Japanese or what, because when he talks its poetry! And his _eyes! Oh, my, God, Lydia!_ His eyes are green, like crazy green. _Green, green, green!_ They could swallow you whole!"

Caught up in every word Lydia was hunkered down next to her listening with rapt attention. But now she blinked and straightened, sitting back as if stunned by everything she was hearing.

"This is serious, Chihiro."

"I know! I just met this guy and I already brought him home!"

Chihiro confessed all too loudly because she wasn't guilty at all, throwing up her hands before diving back beneath them as her face went positively volcanic.

"We didn't even have _sex_! Well, not really anyways _, but oh my God! WOW!_ And he _held_ me, Lydia! Who the hell _cuddles_ anymore!?"

Lydia was frowning now, "So what's the catch?"

"Huh?"

Chihiro shrank from Lydia's flinty nonchalance as she continued.

"I don't mean to pull you back down to earth, Chihiro, you're a smart woman and you make your own decisions but generally with men there's always a catch. If you haven't found it yet you'll find it eventually. Usually it's something small, like he drinks too much or he's unemployed. I'm not trying to poke holes in your happiness it's just easy to loose sight of practical things when it comes to new love."

Love: Chihiro's insides thrilled with glorious panic over the word. Instantly she retreated, busying herself with Lydia's perspective and ready to prove her wrong.

"He's got a job actually. Kou works at _Le Pichet_."

Chihiro was only slightly guilty about keeping the fact that he was a dishwasher a secret, but Ginza (1) had long since rubbed off on Lydia and she could be a little stuck up.

"Really?! I took you there after the TV interview, remember?"

"Yeah. Mom and dad loved it," at once she was back to Kou, "I met a bunch of his friends too. They're _so_ funny and seem like they're really awesome people. They all work at _Le Pichet_. They're all dancers too. They dance at the studio over the restaurant; you know the one all the little ballerinas are always going to?"

"He dances?" Lydia was actually surprised.

"Guys can dance too," Chihiro was defensive.

"I never said they couldn't," She responded smoothly, "What style?"

"Um… Modern, I think. I really don't know much about dance," suddenly she was remembering the way he whirled through the tunnel back in Shinjuku, "But you should see him, Lydia. He moves like water and wind."

Again Lydia saw right through her.

"Something tells me that's not everything."

Chihiro winced, "Um, well, there is something. He's had it kinda rough recently. He seems… fragile."

"Define fragile?"

Could Lydia be any more dispassionate? It seriously irked Chihiro.

"Fragile," Chihiro bit back, "It's the opposite of strong."

She immediately regretted her testiness, twisting a piece of hair round her finger, studying the polished granite countertop.

"Look, he lost someone important and pretty recently too. Whatever happened, it drove him away from a family and a home he really loves. He seems really lonely and a little lost I can _totally_ relate to that, okay?"

Lydia didn't have any smart retorts. She didn't need them, which was why Chihiro loved her so much. She kept quiet when Michio would've bitched her out for rebounding and giving some strange guy a pity fuck. Those would probably be her words verbatim; neither, however, were the case.

"It's weird, Lydia," Chihiro murmured, putting a hand on her chest.

Beneath her hand strange foggy sensations circled ominously making her anxious and light-headed as something stirred even deeper. What was that sound? She strained to hear it only to retreat in terror as too familiar panic spiked like frost in her blood. She was so wound up by now she had to struggle to pull in a slow breath, continuing in excitement.

"I dunno how to explain it but there's this connection. I know it sounds dumb and chick-flickish, but I feel like I've known him forever."

Chihiro was whispering for some reason as heat crept into her cheeks.

"You should see the way he looks at me, like he could look at me for the rest of my life. And you know what? I want to let him."

Lydia stood abruptly, giving Chihiro a start. But she was only getting the coffee pot so she could refill her cup.

"When do I get to meet this fellow?"

"Tonight," Chihiro refrained from squealing, "He's coming to the book signing."

* * *

 **Notes:**

Ginza is the Beverly Hills of Tokyo.


	29. Chapter 29

**LIN**

Lin hung up the phone with a sigh.

Weary from making cancellations, she sank her head into her hand, which was growing more and more impossible because of her huge stomach. Most of the humans had intended to cancel anyway due to the still falling snow. Only a few were angry. Then she offered them a free weekend so ridiculously far in the future she wouldn't have to think about it for a while. Humans couldn't stay angry in the face of anything free. But there was no way they were taking guests. Not now that Maboru was here and all that implied. She shivered in spite of herself, and not because of the cold breathing under the front door.

"I'll take my turn now, Lin-sama."

Aniyaku appeared at her elbow, grinning unciously and bowing twice as was his habit. She did not miss the cup of tea in his hand and the folded blanket tucked under his arm. Her curious moue was at once a dour frown.

"If I catch you sleeping, frogman, I'm giving you tub duty."

He sputtered pompously, managing to be angry and guilty at the same time. But he couldn't lie to her because that was indeed what he had intended to do.

Lin snorted then left him to simmer, waddling along the covered walkway into the bath wing. Distantly she could hear the rhythmic _scitch-scratch scritch-scratch_ of brushes scrubbing. The yuna were working on the private tubs. Clearly she could hear Natsumi singing. Her smoky contralto hung in the air like incense, everywhere and nowhere.

" _Where does the swallow fly? Swallow fly? Swallow fly?"_

From another of the private tubs Hiko, Ginka, and Usagi answered sweetly.

" _Far! Far! Far!"_

It made Lin happy to see how easily the rabbit had become family. It was terrible gossip, not that they had anything else to do but be in each other's business, but Natsumi was sure that come spring Yoshi was going to ask the brown bunny to marry him. The stuttering frog could hardly speak a word in Usagi's presence.

" _Where does my beloved lie? Love of mine? Love of mine?"_

Natsumi called again.

" _Near! Near! Near!"_

The girl kami answered happily, as if nothing in the world was wrong.

Lin passed through the split curtain leading to the big pool, coming out under the eaves to watch the sheets of white drifting down from the sky all around the solid envelope of steam hanging above the tea-green water. White dusted the peek of the walls, whispering soundlessly as if fell from the bright gray sky. Ice hung in clots and icicles from the upper branches of the ornamental pines beyond. But here beside the sharply smelling water summer still reigned. The air was so humid and hot her face broke out in a sweat. And the dainty plum that hung over the pool still bore blossoms, scattering flecks of red onto the murky green surface.

With great difficulty Lin sat on the edge of the stairs leading into the water, drawing up the hem of her kimono as she lowered her swollen legs and feet into the blissfully warm pool. She sighed, sagging against one of the rocks flagging the steps, absently rubbing her belly, wiggling her toes, and idly swirling her feet. It felt terribly wrong to be doing nothing when the others were working so hard. But the moment she picked up a broom or a dust cloth Suzume was there, taking it from her hand. She half considered going to find a broom just to make him appear. He and Maboru were still gone and she had no idea where.

"No fair!" Kai shrieked gleefully somewhere beyond the wall, "It's no fun when you run like kami! I can't keep up!"

"Get faster!" Little Green Frog cheered back.

Suddenly the frog whooped in surprise as something whistled through the air only to hit with a wet sounding _phafft!_ Lin startled as a second snowball sailed over the wall, spattering on the ground in a slushy white smear. And then Yoshi was laughing and laughing, sounding like a different being entirely as he did.

"Y-you m-m-mm-ay b-be human, little b-brother, b-but your aim is t-true!"

Lin found herself smiling, infected by their genuine camaraderie. Almost as though they were sick of being cooped up and wanted to join in the fun, the kitlings began viciously kicking her stomach. Lin bent gripping her belly, crossing her eyes as all she could do was grit her teeth and wait for them to go still. Ah, they were so big! _Too big!_ And it was only the second week of December. At this rate Makoto and Kokoro might come early, which was perhaps a blessing. Lin wanted Mrs. Nikkou to see the children before... She didn't finish the thought, _couldn't_ finish it!

Blinking rapidly, Lin looked up seconds before Amano pushed between the curtains. It was so hot here he'd left his leather jacket, wearing his usual dark washed denim jeans and tight short-sleeved white shirt. He cut a tall lean figure; quite handsome for a human. But Lin found herself staring at the glossy pink puckered skin that tightened every inch of his left arm. He'd lost the nails on his index and middle fingers to the burn scars. More of the scar peeked from the neckline of his shirt, climbing his shoulder and neck like tendrils of fire. His messy hair was getting long, hiding most of it. He looked like he hadn't slept a wink. Amano's eyes were red-rimmed and ringed with purple smudged that seemed darker thanks to the shadow of stubble on his cheeks and chin.

At once Lin was frowning, because he had a fat lip. Not at all sorry, she let her gaze grow heavy. Flicking his lighter open and closed, open and closed, Amano leaned against the wall as if trying to be cool. But he was just too ashamed to look at her in the eye. And she knew Kai'd told his father she'd come after him last night just as he knew she'd heard everything.

"Is Kiri here?"

"No," Lin meant to leave it at that, but couldn't, "She didn't come home?"

Amano shook his head, forced to clear his throat before he could speak.

"She's at the temple then."

That was one of the things she liked about this human. Though he could be charming when he wanted something, but Amano used his words sparingly. Under any other circumstances Lin would've been glad to hear Kiri had gone home. Keiichi and his sister had made amends in the wake of Naniko's husband's death. Unfortunately this was nothing to be happy about.

"I fucked up pretty good."

Amano was genuinely sorry on more than one account. That was the only reason she held her tongue. He was right and didn't need her to tell him so. Amano bowed his head, crossing his arms as a muscle began to jump at the back of his jaw. At once his expression turned grim.

"Maboru bring's out t'worst in me. Runs in t'family. He an' Hidé know how t'push _all_ my buttons!"

Amano threw up his hands in defeat.

"He wanted a fight as much as I did an' I gave it t'im like a dumb shit an' _right_ in front of Kiri!"

Lin scowled at the green water, "All families fight."

She could hide her chagrin from the human, but until recently she'd been in a very similar place to where this he now stood. Maybe that was why she found herself listening. Her maternal instincts must be kicking in with a vengeance, because it felt like all these silly humans were suddenly her children.

"Yeah? Well this's the _last_ thing we need! Kiri's already sore 'bout somethin' an' t'woman won't talk! She's all jittery! It's a sure tell she's hidin' somethin'!"

Amano growled helplessly as if he'd reached an end, nervously smoothing the back of his head just like Maboru had. The human stilled as something occurred to him.

"It's about t'wedding, isn't it!?"

He swore explosively while pacing the deck.

" _Goddamnit!_ I knew it! I keep tellin' her I don't want a temple wedding! She doesn't want one either! She wants t'wear yellow an'… an'… _stripes!_ But she's all wrapped up in showin' those village idiots we've done things properly! It's not gonna make a lick of difference! They're gonna talk no matter what an' I don't fuckin' care what they say! I'll marry her right now at t'city hall, for fuck's sake! And if she doesn't want to get married we don't have to either!"

The human made two full circuits before turning to her pleadingly, as if she could somehow fix all his problems. As he did he reached with such honesty the kami inside her stirred, forcing her to bare witness to the power of his feeling.

"Couldn't stand wakin' up with her not there! She an' Kai are t'only things in I have left that're holdin' me together! An' I don't care how! I just want t'be together!"

He was back on his feet with a gusty sigh, turning away and playing with his lighter, striking the flame and staring at it longingly.

"Haven't wanted a smoke _this_ bad in a long time…"

At once the flame guttered, growing large and hungry as it reach towards Tomoe. Suddenly the grim faced shadow was standing beside the human as if he'd been there all along. He was almost transparent in the daylight, muffled from head to toe and hidden behind the safety of his eerily smiling mask. With a strangled noise Amano dropped the lighter and scrambled away until his back hit the wall. Even Lin jolted, splashing water all over herself.

" _Damn it, ghost!_ Don't sneak up on us like that!" She barked irritably before craning her neck to peer past him, "Where's the cat?"

"Asleep on the foot of Nikkou-sama's bed," Tomoe replied shortly.

Then the ghost glanced at Amano, making the human freeze against the wall as he inched for the door. Lin was about to shoo Tomoe away before something in the shadow's unusually solemn attitude gave her pause. So did what he said next.

"Best that you tell him now, Lin-sama. He must know before this goes further."

Amano blinked, stammering hoarsely, "K-know what?"

The ghost rounded on him with endless black eyes.

"That the human called Ikiri carries more than your children."

"Knock it off, Tomoe!" Lin barked.

What the hell was he thinking!? The broken-nosed human had little tolerance for Godish things. He still panicked when Onsen moved things. The last thing he needed was to be harassed by a ghost! But the damage was done. All the color drained from Amano's face as his hazel eyes were wide. He knocked back against the wall as if Tomoe had punched him in the gut, at once trembling as he slid to a seat on his heels. And the ghost went with him, whispering quickly as if afraid he would be forced to stop.

"I do not mean to be unkind, human. I know my words are blunt but they are for the sake of you and yours. There are far too many secrets in this house and I have seen them tear apart the ones dwelling here."

Amano shrank, staring askance in thin lipped terror.

"Stop it, Tomoe! You're scaring him!"

Furiously Lin hurled a bath token at the ghost as she struggled to gain her feet. But the lacquered piece of red wood flew true only to harmlessly pass through the ghost. Tomoe flinched but continued to speak.

"When Kiri-sama returned from death another came with her. You cannot see her though she has tried so very hard. This I learned last night when for a moment she was at her strongest. I know little of her save her name."

"Suzume!" Lin shouted over him, _"Suzume!"_

A wind hot with embers and the smell of camphor blew through the split curtains as with clenching burned black fists the fox stormed out of the dressing room. His gold eyes ignited as they darted between Amano and the ghost. As the God clapped his hands the sound struck the pool side like a shock of thunder. Lin gritted her teeth, clinging to the rock as her ears popped. Tomoe dissolved like smoke, but not before uttering his parting words.

"Her name is Manami."

* * *

 **HAKU**

As was becoming habit, Haku threw up a hand to still the soaps and cleansers on the shelf above the sink as Chef Jean Paul lumbered by making the floor quake. Furtively glancing after the human to make sure he was not watching, Haku urged the water in the sink round and round, using the visceral power of the element to scrub the baked on grit encrusting the roast pans that once carried the lamb. Slowly he was forming an accord with the water that ran from the pipes. It was soft and docile, not at all like the hard and willful water that flowed from the spigots in Kumomi. With its assistance water stayed hot and soapy and the copper baking sheets glowed with cleanliness. So did the floors he had mopped. The tiles squeaked beneath his feet. On a whim he scooted his shoes back and forth, indulging in the strangely enjoyable sensation.

At the range closets to the dish station Shouta was making a delectable smelling cream sauce flecked with dill for the salmon Kenka was poaching in butter beside him. Haku frowned as the tall human bent his head into the crook of his arm, mopping the sweat from his brow as he put his other hand out to the wall to steady himself. Then abruptly Shouta shrank from his work, making room for Jean Paul. As if the heat of the bubbling sauce mattered not, the Frenchman stabbed a pudgy digit into the _sous_ chef's pan. That is what the other males in the kitchen were called, _sous chefs_ , which was apt for they were all under the Chef quite literally. The man was a mountain of flesh.

"More salt, _petit_ ," He clapped Shouta on the shoulder and the tiny human looked for a moment like he might drop to the floor, "That tastes too much like flour."

" _Oui, chef!"_ Shouta eagerly applied the seasoning as his superior turned away.

Jean Paul returned to the gigantic range at the fore of the kitchen, commanding an impossible array of pots, pans, and skillets as he peered as Jae delivered to him a roundel of pork stuffed with dried fruits he had just carefully trussed. Plucking another skillet from the copper constellation at his head, Jean Paul slapped a pat of butter into the pan's center, rolling it round into melted glory before carefully floating the meat into the bubbling browning oil.

"Where is my wine sauce?" The Frenchmen demanded.

"Coming, chef," Jae answered with surprising obedience.

Haku flinched, cringing as heat and light flaring up from his pan as Jae tore a cork from a green bottle with his teeth before dousing his skillet. Karasu had called him a wizard, but he was nothing compared to the lean human! Jae did not so much as blink as amber fire blossoming into his face, sending the drippings sizzling as if they were demanding to be poured over the succulent chop of meat Jean Paul eased onto a waiting white plate beside the range. Ducking beneath the chef's meaty arms and maneuvering around his bulk with all the graceful dexterity that only a dancer could claim, Jae finished the pork with a thick amber sauce as the chef turned his attention to another of his pots. The glaze was flecked with cracked peppercorns and tarragon Haku could smell all the way from the sink even before Jae flung the spent skillet onto the table beside his station. Carefully catching up the hot pan and dunking it into the eager sink, it was clean in seconds.

Jae delivered the plate to the serving station inside the door, dinging a bright brass bell on the way back to his stove, entering on what might seem like a collision course with Kana as she darted through the velvet door like a diving thrush. They whirled around one another in so fluid a movement it was as if the whole of their work had been previously choreographed. The hushed murmur of human voices spilled over the threshold in their wake, momentarily cutting through a pause in the shrill clangs and roaring flames of the kitchen. Curiously Haku craned his neck, catching a glimpse of the well dressed diners sitting round the white linen tables in the fore of the restaurant. But then the door closed, cutting him off as Kana carried in a platter stacked with dirty dishes to the dish station table. Haku held out a clean towel and Kana caught it up, wiping down her now empty tray before reading over one slip of paper in many that tacked to a metal bar above her station.

"I need a tower of poached salmon and tarragon sauce with young vegetables," She announced without a backward glance as Fuu flew through the door a second later wearing a harried expression as she inched over to Megumi's station.

"We need more bread, Megumi."

"I'm working on it!" The baker snapped back, blasting the kitchen with more heat as she hauled open the double row of ovens behind her, revealing the rounded gold faces of five perfect loaves.

" _Bon pan_!" Jean Paul beamed before he barked, _"Ou est mes vegetables!?"_

"I've got the babies," Shouta called.

He retreated to the opposite side of the kitchen, momentarily lost in a cloud of steam. Jae threw a spoon at his friend from across the kitchen, making the tall human jolt as it clattered off the range.

"Wake up, Kenka! Where's the fuck's t'fish!"

Kenka had no lippy reply as per earlier that day. He was strangely silent as he wrapped the handles of the skillet and the sauce pan with the length of his apron, making ready to carry them to the plate Shouta was carefully arranging on Kana's tray. And then there was something wrong. The only reason Haku even noticed amidst the din and flash of the kitchen was he still wore the glasses Onsen had gifted. However fogged they may be they spun him round and forced him to look right at Kenka as he turned unnervingly pale, wavering on his feet a second before his knees began to bend.

Too fast to see Haku was catching the skillets from his bare hands, ignoring the hissing bite of the hot metal against his palms. The wind of his passing guttered the flame in the range as he foisted the pans off in a single fluid motion. Then he spun between seconds, catching Kenka into his arms as the human collapsed. Haku froze as over Kenka's shoulder he saw Fuu at the back station. She had been cutting bread. Obviously having seen everything, or _not_ seen as he had been quite swift, wide-eyed and stunned she dropped her bread knife. But he forgot her as Kenka sagged in his grip.

"Jae!" Haku cried aloud, _"Jae!"_

Across the kitchen Shouta's face wiped with fear as he snatched off his apron. He would have rushed over if Kana had not caught him by the arm. Baffled, Haku watched the tiny human subside beneath the sudden weight of helplessness, close to tears in frustration as the female held him back.

" _Tabernacle!"_ Jean Paul swore explosively, " _Qu'est qui se passé maintenant!?"_

Glaring angrily around the edge of his stove the Frenchman blocked the entire passage with the landslide of his girth. As he did Kana appealed to Jae with a tight-lipped glare as he darted around by his superior. But Haku's relief dissolved as instead of assisting with Kenka Jae grabbed the skillets with the corners of his apron. Before Haku could protest the human flashed a pleading gaze from under the sweat soaked cloth bound round his brow.

"Don't fuckin' ask," he hushed beneath his breath nodding at the ceiling, "Take him up?"

" _Eh!?"_ Jean Paul demanded distantly.

"Kenka passed out," Jae called back as if it was common, "Kou's got it."

" _Bon,"_ Jean Paul muttered dismissively, _"Ou est mon poison!?"_

At once the kitchen was back to work as usual, even Shouta. Baffled and angered by their lack of concern, Haku slung Kenka's arm over his shoulder. And he was not heavy; in fact he was very light. At least Fuu was pinched with concern as she rushed to the back door and held it open for him. Haku ducked out into the long frozen shadows of the waning afternoon, scattering ashes beneath his feet as he dragged Kenka with him. The human stirred beside him, grasping the front of his shirt and stumbling now, following as they climbed the covered stair. Haku sent a wind ahead of them and the door to his apartment ripped open startling Chouchin as she sputtered up into the rafters. To so flagrantly use magic in front of a human was unwise, but Kenka was not in any right state to see. Unfortunately Haku hit his head on the sloped ceiling in his haste to ease Kenka onto the bed, ending up dumping the poor fellow onto the thin coverlet.

Cringing and blinking as sparks flared behind his eyes, Haku sank to his knees, hands hovering and unsure of how to help. Because he had no magic to help the human; none of his remedies could heal mortal ailments. Oh, how terrible it was to watch his friend suffer knowing there was nothing he could do! Such fear struck him in that moment; sending him trembling as at once he was faced with the fragility of human existence. They were like flowers: quick to bloom and quick to die. He was about to seek assistance when Kenka regained his faculties.

Pale and struggling to breathe, he rolled onto his back still clutching his chest. At once at the sink Haku fetched a glass of water, back at the bedside in second to help the human drink with gentle trembling hands. Kenka swallowed with difficulty but was strangely unafraid as he settled back.

"It's okay," the tall human hushed as if trying to calm him, "It's okay."

"It is not!" Haku returned in a hiss, "I fear for you and know not what to do!"

"This happens all the time," Kenka explained as he spread a hand over his chest, "My heart's messed up an' it doesn't beat right. I'm taking something that helps but I still pass out when it goes wonky."

Little of that made sense and Haku was too upset to be rational.

"But you are unwell!" Angrily he stabbed a finger at the floor, "And the others care not!"

Here Kenka cut him, suddenly so practical it was chilling.

"They care plenty, Kou, but the kitchen's a business. There's no room for babying in business. We've all got a job to do an' if Sho an' the others dropped everything every time I took a header Jean Paul'd give me the axe. That he hasn't already is seriously freaking me out so I don't wanna do _anything_ to piss 'im off."

Haku blinked. Why on earth would Jean Paul give Kenka an axe?

"We _need_ this job, Kou… We get seriously good benefits. There no way we could afford my meds without them."

Again he understood very little of what Kenka said save the fact that the fellow was exhausted by human worries he could not yet fathom. Yet he continued as if he could not stop himself, as if he desperately needed to tell someone, anyone, his mind. Haku frowned anxiously as Kenka sagged back against the mattress covering his face with his hands. Between his fingers the human's voice issued frayed by the same helpless frustration that brought tears to Shouta earlier.

"Dude, we're already on thin ice here. Origa doesn't care so we can be ourselves in studio but Jean Paul's not as… _liberal_. It's exhausting, it hurts Sho, and it _seriously_ pisses me off, but when we're at work we've got to be careful not to be _obvious_. It doesn't matter that we've worked here for almost three years, just like it doesn't matter than Jean Paul adores Shouta. M'pretty sure he'd axe us both if he knew."

Haku shifted uneasily as silence fell over the room. As embarrassment sent his face hot he finally forced himself to quietly admit confusion.

"Kenka, I… I do not understand."

Taking back his hands the human blinked up at him with troubled eyes and a flat frown full of apprehension.

"Sho an' I are _gay_. You know that right?"

Haku blinked again, at once hesitant, "Y-yes…? You and Shouta seem happy."

Kenka uttered a short laugh that momentarily returned a flicker of the human's usual levity, "You are such a trip, Kou! No, I mean gay like when a guy likes another guy or a girl likes another girl instead of the other way around."

"Oh… This I understand."

Haku sat back on his heels no longer confused for it was common among Kami. For some it mattered little if they were male or female. Kami simply were. They could become either if they so desired. But here he grew troubled again.

"Jean Paul would end your employment should he learn of this? That makes absolutely no sense."

"Not everyone's as open-minded as you, Kou…"

At once Kenka was tired again, so very tired.

And Haku's frown deepened, drawing into tight lines until his brow began to ache, because he understood all too well. To this day Sengen hated him. It mattered little to the Goddess that he loved Chihiro with all his soul. To kami it was unthinkable to love a human, just as it was unthinkable to give up one's God-self in order to love a human. Haku had resigned himself to being hated by all kami but it had not been so. O-Inari-sama was with him. She had blessed him with a mostly sympathetic family. Likewise he had found kinship here among the equally unusual: kami, unwhole, and human alike.

"People who hate blindly are wrong," Haku stated resolutely.

Kenka snorted, sadly closing his eyes.

"Trouble is those people think they're very, _very_ right. How d'you ask the blind to see things differently?"

Haku struggled with this, struggled with the elusiveness of human belief and truth, because they were not one and the same. Kami could not lie. Between Gods there was only truth. But here his frown cut into him further. Was there only truth? His inside went cold with uncertainty as Haku remembered what the half-fox soldier said of Kubi, calling her an abomination that must be obliterated, blaming her for the corruptions afflicting Shitamachi. This from the lips of a God! True, Kubi was unwhole, but that difference did not equate with wickedness! It was unthinkable to brand a being evil simply because she was different.

Haku himself was unwhole. Did that make him evil? He bent his head in regret, clenching fists atop his thighs as he remembered the blood on his hands. But even before that he had done terrible things. Righteousness was not reserved for Gods alone. What had transpired in the adjacent shrine was proof of that; three Gods against one who was less and for no better reason than bigoted hate. Far, far, more terrible was the hate Sengen had shown him. The Goddess might have killed him; but she had done worse knowing full well how he would suffer. These were not divine actions. Such pettiness belonged to lesser beings. That so great a Kami could be so very wrong was terrifying.

Hate! The worlds seemed to be inundated in the terrible stuff.

Spilling from one side to the next and then back again.

Oh, it sent Haku's blood to ice in his veins.

"You okay, dude?" Kenka began quietly, "Serious stuff's going on in your head."

Haku startled, looking down at his friend only to find him drawn with concern. Blood flooded his cheeks, forcing him to look away from the human's worry as it stirred such fondness in his heart until there was not enough room for it inside his tiny body.

"I… I know what it was to be hated for whom you have chosen to love. Just as I know what it is to be hated by your own people for who you have chosen become."

And there was nothing to do but tell the truth.

"Though I may rail at the injustices, I find myself helpless and all but smothered in the shadows of those far more power than I. How does one find the means to go on in the midst of such desperateness? Why would we even bother when this world and the next are so drowning in hate?"

Slowly thoughts of her rang in his mind as if somewhere far away a temple bell had been struck. Perhaps it was priests at O-Inari-sama's temple next door tolling the turn of dusk? But again it struck in his heart, louder now as he remembered last night with a heat that thawed his fear frozen bones. Last night he had held Chihiro in his arms. She had kissed him; touched him; looked after him with such sadness as he went; all in spite of her curse. What that meant he did not know. But it meant something.

"That we may love at all; that we continue to love in the face of hate; it is a very brave thing. Only recently have I come to understand that hope and love are the same. And for the sake of hope we must endure the unendurable."

Truth: it poured out of him as if he was a God again. And in its wake Haku found himself strangely embarrassed, for as he had when he danced, he had revealed far too much. Slowly that strange knowing expression from earlier crept over Kenka's face. Suddenly Haku went very still, afraid of what the human saw. Hurrying to calm him again Kenka spoke in earnest.

"Dude… I dunno where you came from or what the hell happened to you… You don't have to tell me. I don't need to know and I don't care if it's bad. It's not just how you dance… You're something else entirely. It's weird an' I don't know why, but I'm glad you're here."

At once the human's sly grin returned, making his dark eyes glint gleefully.

"And I can see why she fell so hard and fast over you."

Before Haku could sputter something struck the floor beneath them.

" _Goddamnit, Kou!"_ Jae thundered from below, "Quit playin' nurse an' get your skinny ass down here!"

Kenka's grin widened, "I'm not the only one who's glad you're here."

Dropping his head to hide a smile that made his heart buoyantly light, Haku flowed backwards to his feet without thinking. Kenka jolted. Stunned amazement washed through the human's wide eyes, and not for the first time he looked unsure as again his hand flattered of his chest. Not knowing what else to do Haku bobbed a short panicked bow and made for the door. That was three times today he had revealed too much. And he must be far more careful if he was to remain. He was halfway down the stairs when Kenka called after him.

"Make sure Shouta goes tonight!"

Haku came up short, slipping on the steps as momentum tried to drag him down the rest of the way into the courtyard.

"Please?" The human pressed.

"He will go," Haku called with assurance.

Again he jolted as the back door flew open. As if impossible for him to leave the kitchen Jae hung halfway out on the frame glaring up at him with frosted gray eyes.

"How's he doin'?"

"R-resting," Haku stammered.

"Good."

Then Jae seized him by the front of his shirt, hauling him down the rest of the stairs and through the back door. At a loss Haku followed, throwing up his hands as at once he was stolen from the cold afternoon's peaceful silence and delivered through an unyielding wall of sound heat and smell back into the belly of the copper beast. Hellish flames erupted from Jean Paul's stove, billowing around him as he shouted harsh orders to Shouta, sending the little human scrambling to keep up as Kana and Fuu ferried dish after dish out the door. Megumi had left her station in the opposite corner from the sink to assist with the cooking. For the first time Haku could recall the cold-faced female looked hard pressed as she worked the stoves. Sweat beaded her brow, her hair was in disarray, and a large stain of red wine blotted her apron. Without further explanation the madman shoved him at the rear work station.

"Watch an' learn 'cause you've been promoted for the dinner rush!"

The human seized an onion from the basket beneath the counter, cutting off the top and slapping it against the board so it no longer rolled.

"This is a quarter."

He divided the onion into four with two brisk rocks of the blade.

"This's a slice and a chop."

The edge flashed against the wooden board, creating thin slivers which he then reduced to smaller uniform pieces by rotating his knife and returning, again rocking the blade through the. Haku marveled at the human's skillful movements before stinging tears suddenly afflicted his eyes.

"It burns!" Haku lamented, blinking rapidly.

"Deal!" Jae bit back, strangely unaffected.

He seized a handful of lacy broad leaved herbs that smelled strongly of licorice. These he stacked and rolled before slicing, producing perfect curls of dainty green.

"This is a chiffonade and this is a julienne."

He produced a peeled carrot from the stock of vegetables he had prepared earlier that day, slicing it then stacking the pieces and slicing it again until long thin slivers of orange peeled away from his blade. Then he put the knife in Haku's hand.

"Hold it like this, _paboya."_

Jae urged Haku's fingers into a solid grip around its hilt, making him wince as the burns on his palms stung. The human scooted Haku's index finger off the dull top of the blade before plunking an onion in front of him.

"Chop!"

He had no time to hesitate. Urged to swiftness by the frenzy in the kitchen Haku quartered the root as Jae had shown, marveling at how smoothly the edge of metal melted through the material. He sliced each fourth into thin sheets before turning his blade as Jae had, using the point as a pivot, rocking the blade up and down as he returned with the same uncanny speed the human had shown. In the course of seconds Haku had reduced the onion into neat little pieces.

"Man, you are a fuckin' _machine_!" Jae barked an enthusiastic laugh, already back at his station, yelling over the clattering pans, "This's how it works: I yell an' whatever I say you do! Got it?!"

" _Oui, chef!"_ Haku could not help but tease.

"Fuck you, man!" Jae was laughing again, almost throwing another spoon before yelling over his shoulder, " _Oi, Shouta!_ Come get your onions!"

At once the little human was at Haku's elbow. Haku could plainly see the distress in his dark brown eyes even as they furtively flashed at Jean Paul. But as Shouta opened his mouth Haku spoke first, quietly and with reassurance.

"He insists you go tonight."

Shouta blinked and blinked then blinked some more.

Then he scooped the diced aromatics into his skillet.


	30. Chapter 30

**HAKU**

Like the electricity humming in the pulsing web of wires overhead bodies coursed through the boulevards, roads, and allies of Shinjuku; a vibrant bustling circulatory system of perpetual movement. It was strange how the foreign world did not shock him so completely this time. Haku would never have thought he could grow used to this sea of concrete and steel, but even this terrible world had its beauty. The fog had retreated, leaving nothing but bitter cold and bald sky in its wake, making the signs hum and buzz even louder as they hung overhead in rainbowed constellations of brilliant light so bright they shamed the stars into obscurity.

In spite of the tight leggings and the long black gloves he wore, cold gnawed on Haku's bones through the filmy black robe beneath his jacket. He hardly felt the cold because somewhere ahead of them Chihiro was waiting. In his excitement he had long since ceased to be concerned by the strange looks passerby's shot in his wake. Though the costume was made for Kenka, it fit him well. Kenka insisted he wear it since he could not; he barely made it to the taxi before going pale with fatigue. But the tall human had grinned with such delight when finally Haku put it on.

Apparently the tiny female had made them herself for a gathering called a convention she, Shouta, and Kenka had recently attended. Although of what this thing called anime was, Haku remained unsure. Haku was more than accustomed to wearing a mask. In fact, he reveled in the faceless anonymity. He had not, however, yet accustomed himself to Fuu and Shouta. It was more an unnerving to see them dressed in the uniforms of Yubaba's Bath House.

Through Fuu was far chestier than Chihiro had been as a child; he had not been prepared to for the fresh pain that bled through his heart to see her in pink and indigo. The female was wearing a wig pulled back into a pony tail. With her wide innocent eyes and child-like disposition, the resemblance was uncanny. It was even eerier to witness Shouta's transformation. Haku had watched in horror as the tiny human placed nearly invisible films into his eyes, which suddenly became green. Haku hardly recognized Shouta thanks to the black-green wig he wore. He could not help but notice how the human posed, already gleefully acting the part as he stood proudly in his white robe and blue pants.

"This way," Shouta instructed with an all too familiar haughty tilt of his chin.

Haku found himself frowning at himself. Had he truly been that imperious?

Though both Shouta and Fuu hurried along shivering and huddling in their coats bare-legged and bare-footed in their traditional clogs their enthusiasm remained unhampered by the cold. Silently Haku followed, half afraid to be left behind. Fuu came up short as they rounded onto the main boulevard from Shinjuku station, making Shouta bump into her. Distantly crowds amassed in front of Kinokuniya's main store making the air vibrate with the hushing murmuring whisper of thousands of voices.

"Whoa!"

Haku followed her eyes to the words on the great blue banners hanging from the sheer cliff-face of the building front. _Spirited Away._ So read the huge block letters. _By Ogino Chihiro._ It was not strange to see her name so largely and loudly proclaimed. But it was strange to see the arrogant dragon from the sheets of white on Chihiro's wall floating over them. At least it had not been an image of the Bath House. Haku was not sure he could have endured such a sight.

"Look at all the people in costume!" Shouta breathed.

Indeed the crowds were alive with flashes of white and pink.

"Look at that line!" Fuu cried in dismay.

"Comin' thru! Move it!"

A group of younger humans shoved by rudely, dressed in bath house uniforms. One of the humans had painted their face frog green and another had painted dots on her forehead to mimic the make-up of the floral printed yuna. Another couple wore blue white and pink. They rushed ahead holding hands, vying for a place in the ever growing line looping back and forth in front of the building until it was forced to snake around the corner. At once Fuu was frowning, growing unsure as they approached the book store. She fell back beside him, reaching out to take his hand. Haku gladly accepted it, especially as his eyes fell upon an old human woman dressed exactly as Yubaba. She cackled as they passed, making his insides crawl.

"You've got Chihiro's card, right?" Shouta whispered conspiratorially.

" _Yes!"_ Fuu hushed back in elation as if she had forgotten about it.

Towing him off the street, they loitered under a lamp as she dug it out of her coat pockets. As she produced the tiny rectangle of electric plastic called a phone Haku recoiled as an absolute stranger seized his arm.

" _KAONASHI!"_

The female human was dressed up like a God, wearing the straw cloak of a Namahage. Her cleaver was made of plastic as were the horns glued to her brow. Blue paint smeared her face beneath the wig of fake leaves she wore on her head, but the bucket she carried on her arm was old. From this she produced another plastic rectangle on a lanyard jostling with fake soot spirits.

" _Oh-my-God your costume is awesome!_ Take off your coat so I can see!"

Beyond her shrill shriek she had a fanatical gleam in her eyes that sent him shrinking. She undressed him right there before taking notice of Fuu and Shouta.

" _Yeek!_ Chihiro and Haku too!? This is too great! _Picture-picture-picture!"_

Fuu and Shouta happily struck poses as the stranger lifted the box to her eye, quivering with excitement. Haku recoiled, throwing up his hands in front of his face as a blinding light flashed.

"You're so awesome! _I love you so much, Kaonashi!"_

She squealed again before shoving his coat back into his arms and hugging him! A complete stranger was hugging him! Haku could do nothing but submit until the human released him, spinning on her heel without another word before diving into the crowds. Utterly baffled and half amused Haku peered after her. Unfazed by all of this, Shouta seized the card from Fuu, dialing quickly before shoving them into the shadows at the mouth of the alley pressed between the behemoth buildings. Hurriedly he put the phone to his ear as a tinny voice answered from the other side.

"Hi, Chihiro!" He began chattily, "It's Shouta."

The tiny human crossed his eyes at Fuu, biting his lip gleefully as the female began jumping up and down in silent exultation as if she could not contain herself. At once Shouta was listening intently before he answered.

"It's just Fuu, Kou, and I... Yeah, Kenka couldn't come," Shouta kicked at the ground with a sullen frown, "He wanted to but he's really sick. Kana's keeping him company. I know! Wasn't that nice?"

He paused for a moment then immediately brightened, blinking rapidly, nodding, and making Haku long to take the box from his ear and press it to his so he could hear what Chihiro was saying.

"Really!? That'd be so awesome! Come on Monday, that's when Kenka an' I run studio."

Fuu was now gyrating her hands impatiently, urging him to hurry. Shouta waved her off with an irritated grin. Again he blinked, pausing to listen, straightening as he spun to look down the alley.

"The one between Kinokuniya and the department store? Yeah, actually we're already there. I know! Weird, huh!?"

He paused again, peering into the distance at a bright green light.

"The emergency exit? Got it. We'll be waiting. See you soon."

As he flipped the phone closed Shouta began jumping too, laughing as if suddenly afflicted by whatever strange sickness had so stricken the other human with gleefully mad need to paint herself blue. Haku stared at the strange vision, trying to imagine Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi doing such a thing: leaping and laughing like a madman. Abruptly regaining his dignity, Shouta shoved the card and phone back into Fuu's pockets before grabbing them both by the hand, towing them to the green light. Climbing up onto the steps he struck a confident pose, jabbing a thumb at the door.

"Chihiro's sending someone to get us right now. We're s'posed to wait here."

Haku smirked openly behind his mask as the human jolted, whirling and backing down the steps, not nearly as confident when the door opened. At once an imposing woman filled the threshold. She was dressed in a similar fashion to Chihiro; jacket, buttoned shirt, shapely heeled shoes and a tight unnervingly short skirt that revealed a glimpse of her naked knees. These human females and their bare knees!

"Hello," She smiled genuinely bobbing a short bow, "I'm Lydia, Chihiro's personal assistant. You must be Fuu and Shouta."

Haku dropped his gaze as her glasses flashed in the green light, momentarily hiding her eyes. They fell on him heavily, so heavily he took a step backwards.

"And you must be, Kou?"

Too unnerved by all of this to speak, he nodded and muttered a meaningless sound twice much like Kaonashi might have.

"Nice to meet you," Lydia's gaze sharpened as she produced a thin smile, "Here. Put these on. You'll need to keep them on all evening."

She held out three lanyards on which hung a thin piece of laminated plastic printed to look like a bath house tile. On this was printed the words _VIP Pass_. Lydia drew back, motioning them through the door.

"Follow me. I'll bring you up to the green room."

* * *

 **CHIHIRO**

Fogging the window overlooking the street with her awe Satako pressed her nose and palms to the plate glass, leaving a perfect 10-year-old imprint as she drew back.

"Wow! Look at all those _people!"_

Chihiro cringed from the girl's enthusiastic pronouncement, trying desperately not to think about all the people outside. Fortunately she'd been through this before and she knew only those who'd purchased special advance copies would be in line for signings, otherwise she'd be here for weeks. Thanks to Saka-chan's mother Minako, who'd talked her husband into letting Chihiro borrow their daughter for the evening, this was a dual book signing. Saka was absolutely ecstatic with excitement. That this was one of the first times she'd been allowed out of the hospital beside weekend visits home was some consolation, because Chihiro was so not looking forward to this.

Not for the first time Chihiro nervously glanced around Kinokuniya's meeting room. It was posh and austere, done up in the kind of executive décor that the required a lot of glass cleaner. She tried not to move much or touch anything for fear of smudging the gleaming glass surfaces. Not for the first time that day her stomach twisted into all kind of knots as she once again came to grips with the fact that she was going to talk to a crowd of thousands in little under an hour. It was hard to remind herself she'd talked in front of this many people once before at the _Spirited Away_ movie opening. On top of the crowd she was going to meet the Tokyo _Spirited Away_ fan club. Thanks to Kaatama's machinations they were judging the costume contest.

Not for the first time that evening where she wondered Kaatama had gone. Her agent had an infuriating habit of disappearing at key moments, only to leave her at the mercy of complete strangers. Squirming irritably, Chihiro tried not to scratch her cheek as it itched otherwise she'd carve off an inch of professional make-up caking her face. She was still getting use to her hair. It didn't move when she moved. It felt so _weird!_

Done with people watching, Saka whizzed over in her green sparkly wheelchair. The kid drove the thing like a sports car, leaning into corners and maneuvering at speeds that left Chihiro in the dust. She jerked to a standstill, making the traditional foil hairpins in her wig bounce. Chihiro did not comment on the wig. It was styled very nicely and she could hardly tell it was a wig. Her hair was still growing out from the surgery. Chihiro couldn't help but frown because Saka looked way too grown up in lipstick, foundation and the spring green silk kimono.

It was embroidered with stands of copper-green bamboo that nicely picked out colors in her turtle shell purple-yellow obi. All including the hair pins belonged to Lydia. The pink in her cheeks that matched the pink peeking at her cuffs was entirely of the girl's own making. Satako was absolutely glowing with vitality! She was just so happy! It was chilling to think doctors had given her less than six weeks to live. She couldn't fathom a world without Saka-chan. Distracted from the terrible thought, Chihiro couldn't help but look as the girl scrunched her socked-feet against the feet rests, clacking her sandals as if just barely resisting the urge to stand up. Even though she was making huge progress in physical therapy her father had insisted she use the chair.

"M' _so glad_ Lydia made you wear that kimono! You look _so_ pretty!"

Saka's impatience subsided as she reached out to touch Chihiro's sleeve. Unconsciously she lifted a hand to her hair, stopping herself inches from touching it. Instead she smoothed the knees of her kimono even through the fabric was immaculate. It was Lydia's oldest kimono; a family heirloom that belonged in a museum it was so fantastic! She still couldn't believe Lydia insisted she wear it. Apparently it didn't fit anyone in her family, not even Lydia. The moment Chihiro tried it on it seemed to fit like it was made for her. The thing must have been made of magic because it was incapable of wrinkling, remaining strangely cool and shivery against her skin. She forgot the strange garment as her heart thrilled into her throat, making her jolt to her feet as the door to the green room jerked open. Unfortunately it was just one of the production crew.

"Half hour warning, okay?"

"Kay!" Satako sang.

The kid and the stage manager gave each other thumbs up as Chihiro sank back to a seat beneath such a weight of disappointment. She sighed gustily, moping as she wondered where the hell had Lydia gone?!

"You okay, Chihiro?"

"Huh?" She blinked, frowning at the girl, "W-what d'you mean?"

Saka grinned at her, too excited to be anything but excited.

"'Til you got that phone call you were fine but now you're all fidgety. Who're these people, again?"

"Just some friends."

Chihiro forced a cheerful smile to hide the lie. Kou was more than a friend; at least she was hoping that's the way things were going to pan out. Again she jumped, shooting to her feet in a tinkling of bells as the door to the green room opened. Immediately her chest squeezed to the point of pain as excitement punched the inside of her ribs sending her pulse racing; because this time Lydia held the door open. As a small figure stepped across the threshold the world seemed to slow. Chihiro's mouth fell open as the bottom dropped out of her world. This wasn't possible; this just wasn't possible! All the same Haku stepped through the door, right off the pages of her book, right out of her imagination and into reality.

She jerked as déjà vu stabbed a hole in her heart. As it did the whole world seemed to slide sideways, tugging her into a different world where anything was possible, a world where he was very much real. That terrible foggy feeling tightened in her chest, clouding her head as a muffled ringing start in her ears making her feel as if she was about to pass out; because Haku was real!

With all his usual confident he breezed through the door on light graceful steps. Even thought it was freezing outside and snowing in the foothills he wore sandals as if the cold couldn't touch him. His black hair gleamed an uncanny blue-green in the fluorescent lights. They made his suikan coat that much whiter and his short blue pants that much bluer. As he turned she saw his eyes were green. _Green!_ Then he smiled at her. It was a wide goofy grin that was not at all Haku. The glaring wrongness sent Chihiro recoiling in confusion so sharp she almost gasped. Then she encountered the couch and stumbled into an inelegant seat.

"Uh… You okay, Chihiro? You're, um, kinda pale."

Haku came up short, suddenly timid, worried, and at not at all himself. She startled again, realizing it wasn't Haku at all. His voice wasn't right at all. It was deeper, older, and she recognized it immediately. He was small but not small enough. Then he blinked as if something had gotten in his eye. Momentarily it went brown until the colored contact lens slid back into place. As it did the real world snapped back into place around Chihiro with such rigid force she was glad she was sitting down. With it came all kinds of embarrassment. What the hell was she thinking!? Haku wasn't real! Feeling ridiculous she laughed at herself.

"S-sorry, Shouta," Chihiro began sheepishly, "You look _just_ like him!"

With a mild glance Lydia closed the door and circling Shouta and heading for her laptop station on the opposite side of the room. Her personal assistant gave him a wide berth as he threw up his hands in triumph, wheeling around to reveal Fuu was hiding behind him. Chihiro blinked rapidly, because Fuu was dressed in a pink bath house uniform and wearing a wig pulled up into a pony tail. If not for her chest she would've been the spitting image of Sen!

" _Wow!"_ Saka enthused with wide-eyed awe as she wheeled forward, "You guys look just like Sen and Haku!"

"See! _See!?_ " Shouta needled encouragingly, "You've got nothing to worry about. Fuu made our costumes. This is Fuu. Say hi, Fuu."

He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her forward as if to show her off. The poor thing complied as if she was accustomed to being led around.

"Hi, I'm Fuu." She waved with a compliant smile.

"Aren't they great?" Shouta gushed as he held out his arms and rotated in a circle, "Fuu's super good at sewing."

"No kidding!" Saka beamed back as she sat up in her chair, making her hair pin bounce and chime, "I'm Satako by the way, but everyone calls me Saka-chan."

At once Shouta got that intense, wide-eyed honored expression that he had turned on Chihiro in the restaurant. Dropping Fuu like a hot rock he crouched at Saka's chair.

"The illustrator!?" He hushed reverently as if it was a secret.

"I guess so, huh?" She giggled shyly, putting a hand behind her head.

" _Oh-my-God_ , I love your work!" He gushed anew, "The posters are _amazing_!"

Chihiro fought a smirk and a snort. He was so definitely not Haku! Waving at Fuu as she picked herself up and dusted off her knees, Chihiro beckoned her over.

"I'm so glad you came, you look so great!"

At once her stomach was all knotted up again with uncertain worry. Through all these pleasantries she rushed as Fuu went pink with happiness, leaving Chihiro feeling a bit like a jerk as she hastily blurted what she really wanted to know.

"Um, so where's Kou? Shouta said he was coming with you."

Fuu blinked in confusion then pointed, "He's right there, Chihiro."

Chihiro turned and looked up only to find once again a page of her story came to life. Tall and thin, wearing his smiling ivory mask and staring at her with endlessly black eyes, Kaonashi was loitering beside the couch as if he'd always been standing there. She was so startled she flinched with a strangled shriek.

"A-apologies!" Kou stammered from behind Kaonashi's face, "I did not mean to frighten you!"

Satako gasped from across the room as at once the specter scrambled with itself, withdrawing its mask and the black hood beneath until the face Chihiro longed to see emerged from beneath.

"I know! He looks just like Kaonashi, huh, Saka-chan!?" Chihiro laughed as she glanced over her shoulder only to find the girl standing up in her chair pointing at Kou wide-eyed and absolutely incredulous, "Shouta, you're _so_ gonna win tonight!"

Fuu and Shouta turned to give each other a high-five. At once Chihiro's insides tipped dizzily as Kou took a knee beside her, no longer looming. His face was right on level with hers, making her remember how she'd kissed him in her kitchen last night. Wanting flooded her with intense warmth as he appealed regretfully with his dazzlingly green eyes. Huh… Until this moment she hadn't realized the similarity. She decided right there and then that if Haku was real he'd have Kou's eyes.

"Kenka could not come," Kou blurted hastily as if trying to explain. And he held out the mask as if that somehow made sense of things, "But I am his size."

She was grinning so much her face began to hurt and Chihiro waved off his regrets, leaning closer as slowly the knots dissolved inside her stomach.

"I'm just glad you're here. Although I'm afraid we're not going to see much of each other."

"It matters not. I cherish any moment I might see you."

It wasn't a line; Kou pronounced every word with the same quiet reverence that Chihiro knew meant he was telling the truth. Here she grew distracted because his hair was an absolute mess. As her fingers itched to smooth it into place Kou blinked, looking her over as if seeing her for the first time. Again his stunning eyes lifted to hers, holding her as he had with his arms. When he spoke it was in the barest hush; because every word was intended just for her.

"You are beautiful, Chihiro."

At once she went perfectly still. Her cheeks caught fire as a similar flicker of heat stoked in her heart; because no one in her entire life had told her that before; not even Karou. At once she didn't care who was watching. Reaching out she smoothed her hands over Kou's face, sweeping his ragged bangs from his eyes, taming the long unruly mess struggling out of his hood. All the worried lines tightening his face smoothed away as she did, bringing such relief as he leaned into her touch with a soft sigh, seaming for a moment like he was about to lay his head on her knee. Chihiro wished he would. She marveled, because his inky black hair was so wonderfully soft.

Here she paused.

In the bright lights it had a decidedly blue-green tint.

Just like Shouta's wig.

She and Kou jolted apart as Kaatama burst into the green room ushering along a group of ten fifteen-ish aged girls all dressed in matching pink bath house uniforms and identical ponytails. All were wearing VIP passes.

"Right this way girls! Help yourself to the snacks and drinks on the side bar. This is Lydia. If you have any questions you can ask her." Kaatama boomed congenially as his eyes darted to her, "Ah! There you are, Chihiro!"

He announced as if he'd been looking for her when actually he knew full well where to find her. At once ten sets of round eyes onto her. As they did Chihiro mentally steeled herself for the imminent screaming. Oh, she had never _hated_ her agent so much in her entire life as she did in that moment!

" _Chihiro!"_ The girl's shrieks were a chorus of elation.

Unconsciously she reached for Kou's hand. She held onto it until the last moment. Then she was swept up in a sea of pink. Distantly the door opened and closed again and a tech called loudly.

"Fifteen minutes, everyone! Fifteen minutes!"

But Kou was there. Somewhere in the distance she could feel him. Knowing he was waiting for her was the only thing that helped her make it through the evening.

* * *

 **HAKU**

Awed by her calm, Haku watched Chihiro face a sea of thousands. They had a perfect view from where he stood tucked into the shadows beside the stage hidden from view behind velvet rope the wall of employees guarding the line of bodies snaking back and forth through the floor in front of the stage. More people ringed the roped area, clambering overhead at all four balconies of the store's massive atrium.

"How does she do it?" Shouta squinted overhead as if counting their number, "I mean, I've danced in front of big audiences, but this is _nuts_!"

"She's done this before," Fuu answered cheerily, "You get used to it."

Haku did not think that was possible. As Chihiro stood at the glass podium answering question after question, she did not so much as flinch beneath the crushing weight of their eyes. If anything she caught fire with happiness beneath the flooding lights. That was in part due to her kimono. It was unlike anything he had ever seen. Then again it was no ordinary garment. It was God work; there was no doubt about it. How it had come into mortal hands Haku did not know and he cared not.

He could not stop staring.

The sapphire silk was bluer than blue as it was spun from threads of sky. The silk shimmered with every movement she made, shot through with looping curling silver clouds that were not clouds as all. Across the fabric a white dragon twined, unfurling like a living mist, revealing itself if only for a moment before it retreated back into hiding beneath the brilliant obi wound round her waist. This glittered as if with gold and silver scales. More gold flashed at the hems and cuffs of the kimono. He blinked rapidly, stunned to stillness by the sound as Chihiro laughed, making the fluttering foil combs pinned in her hair flash and shiver.

"No, I don't have a favorite character! That's like asking a mom to pick her favorite kid!"

"I don't mind picking," Satako proudly announced into the short microphone set up beside the podium just for her, "Haku's definitely my favorite."

"That's true," Chihiro admitted guiltily, "If I had to pick it would be Haku."

As cheers erupted from the crowd he did not miss the meaningful stare the human child shot in his direction. Haku shrank from her attention, glad for the mask he was wearing even though the girl could see right through him. He had not the chance to speak with her in private so he had yet to explain himself. All Satako knew was Chihiro had shortly introduced him as Kou before they went on stage. It was a wonder the human girl had not yet rattled apart under curious confusion.

Satako's face fell as she caught sight of something in the distance. A pinch pulled her brows together as a flicker of fear shadowed her face for a moment. Confused, Haku threw his attention at the crowds. He did not have to search for what she saw. The next questioner stepped forward. She was dressed like any other mortal, wearing jeans and a high-necked green sweater, but she moved with such smooth grace she was at once out of place amongst the clipped awkward human motions.

"Get a load of her!" Shouta breathed, "Wow… She walks just like Kou."

"Hey, she looks familiar," Fuu clambered up on the bench Shouta was sitting on, struggling to peer over the crowds, "I think I've seen her in Ueno Park before."

Haku barely heard them.

He went rigid with shock as Kubi approached the microphone.

At once poised on the edge of alarm his hand was reaching into the endless pockets of his tatter cloak closing over the stopwatch Onsen had given him. He had worn the thin gray garment beneath his costume. If need be he could pause time long enough to drag the meddling woman from the crowd. He hesitated, because there was nothing ominous about her demeanor, nothing coy or duplicitous. As if genuinely concerned, Kubi studied Chihiro with her cold metallic gaze. Obviously seeing something, her eyes flashed like knives as they sharpened intently. Holding his breath, Haku desperately wanted to know what it was that she saw.

"How are you sleeping, Chihiro?"

Though she did not use the microphone Kubi's wood smoke voice carried easily. It was even tempered, but her choice of words cut Haku to the bone. He flinched even as Chihiro blinked in confusion but answered none-the-less.

"Um, okay, I guess. Better actually, uh, thanks?"

"Sorry to hear that," Kubi muttered with a cryptic frown. Without another word she disappeared into the eager impatient bodies behind her.

Shouta snorted, "What the _heck_ was that all about?"

"I know not," Haku replied in harried distraction, already turning, "Excuse me."

Retreating to the back of the stage he let himself slowly fade into shadow lest someone be watching. Then his clicked the button on the watch that was not a watch, at once drowned in silence as the echoing hush of voices hanging like a mist overhead abruptly cut off. It was eerie to be surrounded by such quiet. Strangely through in the distance there was slow sluggish movement. Haku realized that the enchanted not-clock's influence was linked to proximity and he was hurrying now lest she slip away.

Withdrawing his compass and fitting his broken glasses to the bridge of his nose, Haku easily found Kubi in an empty side hall. Frozen in the sea of time she was heading for the street. Cagily he stepped into her path, half afraid she would break free of the stop-watch's power; but she remained perfectly still. Peering through the pluming white of his breath Haku was caught up by what he saw.

Illuminated in the cold light spilling from the street, Kubi was exposed. She wore no mask of guile or playing smirk. It was as if he was seeing her for the first time. As he had seen before her tie to the Spirit World had been cut. It was more than severed. It was as if it had been burned and ripped aside. All the same, she vibrated with magic, teeming over with it, which made her all that much more Godly. Baffled, Haku knew not what to think. Aside from the peculiarities of her being, Kubi's silver eyes were dark with troubled thoughts. She looked more than upset. At once Haku's insides stilled with cold anxiety. What had she seen in Chihiro that had upset her so?

He was not, however, so moved to haste that he forgot Kubi's strength of limb and unpredictable wiles. Pulling the sacred braid of rice rope from his cloak he looped it in a wide circle around her feet. Withdrawing to a safe distance he depressed the stop-watch's button. The vertigo of returning movement poured down on him like a sudden shower, blowing like a cold wind at his back. With a gasp Kubi stumbled and fell forward onto her knees, forced to sit as she was caught up in her own momentum and yet unable to pass the rice rope at her feet.

Genuinely frightened, she recoiled with wide flashing eyes throwing up an arm as if to protect herself, making him almost regret binding her. Almost. Shortly recognition flitted across her face as she saw through his disguise. Languidly Kubi sat back and at once she was smirking, coyly gazing from the corners of her eyes and making his insides go cold.

"Hello, _lover_ ," she flashed black teeth as he flinched at the word, "Shame on you. Here you had me thinking you were a helpless baby, but look at you. You've got me all tied up. Naughty boy."

At once his cheeks were burning and he was glad for his mask.

"What are you doing here, Kubi?" He demanded frostily.

"I came to get my book signed like everyone else."

She produced Chihiro's novel from thin air; tossing it to him and making him scramble to catch it. Haku cringed again but this time in exasperation. Even when he had the upper hand Kubi still managed to set him on edge! Cheers sounded distantly. Now ignoring him completely, she frowned back the way she come as if annoyed.

"Look at all those silly humans pretending to be Gods," suddenly her icy eyes flashed at him almost accusingly, "And look at this silly God pretending to be human."

He sputtered, loosing his temper and throwing down the book.

"I am no longer Kami!"

"Part of you is a still a God, Nigihayami," Kubi threw back firmly, silencing the hot words he intended to throw back as she stared with the cold blades of her eyes, " _They_ don't want to see it, but its still there."

Haku gritted his teeth, sick of the hate in her words as she pronounced the word _they_ , meaning those kami who were whole. Oh, how he was done with this creature and her duplicity! But terrible _curiosity_ ; it left him rooted in place! And he had to ask.

"Why are you here, Kubi!?" Angrily he tossed his hand back at the atrium, "You _knew_ I would see you! Just as you _knew_ I would follow! What do you want!?"

Kubi answered his question with a question and he should not have been surprised. He was and her words nearly knocked him from his feet

"Where did that curse come from?" Her eyes glittered dangerously, "I've seen a fair share of curses and I've never seen anything like _that_."

Haku took a step backwards as all the fight left him. It was impossible not to see Sengen's burning blue eyes as memories forced their way through his head like a flood, hissing in his ears like angry waves, chilling him to the marrow. As if sensing a change in him Kubi was peering intently, struggling to see. Her face tightened with frustration as Kaonashi's mask hid him from view.

"Leave," he whispered, shying from her attention.

"No," Kubi refused, unbending as she dropped her play, suddenly dead serious as she stood up, "What if I said I could help? What if I said that's why I came?"

Haku turned his back as he was forced to tell the truth.

"I do not believe you, Kubi. You delight too much in leading me astray."

Unfortunately, one truth led to another and, oh, such painful truths they were. Because Haku had seen Chihiro's face as Shouta entered; something flickered in her eyes in that moment, so powerful it had struck her to a seat. If only for a slim silver of a second Chihiro believed Shouta to be real, she believed Haku to be real. Then belief died in her eyes. Not because of Sengen's curse but because Chihiro _chose_ not to believe. Like any other human she cast possibility aside and laughed at it as if it was absurd!

Not for the first time Haku felt such sorrow he considered it might kill him. Before he could die Chihiro asked for him. Oh, how she lit up with such joy upon seeing him! How he yearned for that bright fire! It was the only warmth in the world that could touch him! But she did not look at him this way because she remembered him. It was such a terrible wonderful thing to bear witness to the death and birth of love. Somehow in that moment he found a strange calm he had not expected. He yielded to it, much as he had yielded to the familiarity of his mortal flesh and the loss of his God-self. What else could he do but endure?

"I am tormented enough by my shortcomings, Kubi," Haku returned frostily, "I need no reminders."

Abruptly he plucked up the rope, freeing Kubi as he wound it round his arm, all the while telling her his mind as if incapable of silence.

"It is useless to tempt me with false promises for I no longer care. I do not care if Chihiro never remembers. Do you hear me? I do not care! I am _grateful_ for the blessings I have been afforded. I am _grateful_ just to be near her. I am _grateful_ for this chance to love her anew. That is all I have ever wanted: to be able to love her. It is all I ever hoped for. I need nothing more."

Stuffing the line back into his cloak Haku threw a hand at the street.

"Go! I need nothing you have to offer."

Turning back he blinked, because Kubi was already gone.


	31. Chapter 31

**LIN**

Lin looked up from Sen's book and frowned sourly as the lights flickered.

Her scowl intensified even before the lights winked out. She sighed, putting aside her book, because it was a wonder they'd lasted this long. All day the weather reports on the frog's television warned about the harsh approaching storm. It hit just before diner, blocking the light from the sky before the black clouds loosed a curtain of hail the size of her fist! Roof tiles shattered in droves but they couldn't rush out to fix them as swiftly the light snow from earlier turned into a full blown blizzard.

She'd spent the better part of the afternoon watching it snow, lost in thought, thinking about what happened earlier, about the revelation Tomoe'd unleashed. Manami: she knew the name; knew the story of what happened. And it explained why Amano went white as snow before he shoved past Suzume and fled the house through the portal the moment the ghost disappeared. Unfortunately Lin was left to explain to Kai what happened without divulging any truth as the stupid fox disappeared the moment she turned her back! To make things worse poor Cinna spent the whole morning looking for Tomoe, working herself into such a tizzy with all her skittish skulking, sniffing, and ear swiveling that Lin forced herself to tell the cat what'd happened.

First Cinna turned absolutely pale then completely red so the bite scars on her neck stood out in perfectly pale pock marks. Every hair on the cat's body stood on end as her red eyes contracted into slits. And she growled low in her throat but Lin barely heard her. Even though it was terrible she was glad the cat had lost most of her voice, otherwise Cinna would've shrieked to the rafters with fury. Mrs. Nikkou probably would've gotten out of bed for that and the last thing Lin wanted was for the old human to do anything but rest. The cat disappeared out into the snow after that, probably off to the old village to find a way over to the Spirit World so she cold bring Tomoe back. Lin wasn't worried Cinna hadn't come back yet. It would probably be a day or so before she did. Time moved strangely on the other side.

Pulling the heavy quilt over her head, she fought the urge to shiver even though she wasn't cold. Lin sighed gustily wishing Suzume was with her. As per usual the fox was still conspicuously absent and she had no idea where he'd gone. Maboru at least had turned up long enough to cook dinner. The human grilled fish he pulled from a snow caked bucket in the bed of his truck; forgoing the machine Kiri'd brought to boil rice and red beans in a pot; then made a mild daikon radish soup all the while scowling as if he hated everything his eyes touched. Never had Lin met someone so sour. Thankfully Maboru didn't stick around, taking a tray up to his mother's room. Eagerly they fell on the leftovers, spiriting them away to the God wing.

Lin jumped as the slider at her feet rattled violently, whistling and shrilling like some kind of ghost, blasting her with cold and fine flakes of snow. And a flickering lick of flame started up in the lantern on the table at the foot of her futon as Onsen gathered over her head in an anxious mothy press.

"It's only a storm," Lin teased, "You've weathered worse."

At once an intense squall of wind hit the side of the house with such force Lin shrank and cringed as the roof actually seemed to lift and flex. As if roused by the swift tempo of her heart, the kitlings squirmed and heaved against the wall of her stomach, making her wince and clasp her only arm over her belly. Now they were kicking each other, staring a war inside her stomach! Already she could tell they were going to take after their father. Not that things would be any easier once they were born. Two babies and one arm: that was going to be interesting.

With a long suffering sigh Lin climbed to her feet, pulling herself upright before drawing on the heavily quilted haori coat Usagi stitched for her. Although she was very sharp, the rabbit was quite crafty. She could make a sturdy coat from a pile of scraps. Lin was more than warm as she waddled for the door. Walking was one of the only ways to settle the kitlings when they got to fighting. Outside she listened for a moment to the sounds of Natsumi's snoring and found herself smiling. Then Lin crosses the small sitting area into the vestibule by the balcony then threw herself out into the shrieking wall of blowing white.

She had to fight against the wind to avoid being thrown sideways into the banister. Ice crunched beneath her bare feet as she sank to mid-calf in the gathering drifts. Hurrying across the balcony into the main house as the sliders opened and closed in front of her. Leaning back as far as she could, Lin stomped downstairs into the kitchen. Her bare feet slapped the celadon green tiles as she crossed and climbed the opposite steps, pushing between the split curtains into the main hall. It was eerily quiet. No chattering guests; no ringing phone; the only sound was the rushing distant hiss of windy snow.

Lin paused beside the archway to the great room, frowning at the echoing shadows inside. Normally Amano and Kiri stayed after diner. They gossiped about town and talked about stupid meaningless things, bickering like sparrows while Kai played games with Hiko, Ginka and Little Green Frog. Sometimes the frogs would carry over the television. Rapt and glued to the screen, Aniyaki and Reika would fall asleep watching their stories. They snored loudly until Natsumi switched off the humming set so she could play her koto. The clicking of needles was a common counterpoint to her melody as Usagi was teaching Yoshi to knit. Between the gardener and rabbit they were all soon to have matching hats and scarves. The other day Usagi began a tiny pair boots. It took every ounce of Lin's self control to keep a straight face when the rabbit showed them to her. Whether she would've laughed or cried Lin wasn't sure.

More and more frequently Suzume was joining them in the evenings. He would bring out his ink set, carefully selecting paper to gild and decorate ever so carefully. Lin adored watching when he wrote. He had a way of holding his sleeve just so while composing. As he concentrated absent branches would wash and paint their way along the hem of his kimono, blossoming into pinks and corral blossoms even though it was the middle of winter. These poems he would read to her before they went to bed. He lulled her to sleep with the golden murmur of his soft tenor. With her head full of such stories it was easy for Lin to almost forget those who were still missing from their beds.

But all that had changed now. The great room lay empty and she _hated_ it.

Striding by Lin hauled herself up the front stairs, determined to exhaust herself only to pause in front of the doorway to Mrs. Nikkou's room. Even though it was extremely late a thin slip of light filtered under the slider. Struck to stillness with curiosity and half hopeful she'd find Suzume, Lin pressing her hip to the wall and carefully inched a crack in the door. Onsen had lit one of the lanterns on the old woman's desk. The thin flickering light spilled across the human's bed clearly illuminating Maboru. The surly man looked more like a little boy. Fast asleep, he was curled up beside his mother with his head tucked into the crook of her arm, making her look that much tinier against the heap of pillows. Absently Mrs. Nikkou was smoothing his hair. Lin couldn't tell if she was asleep or not. There was a fox sized impression at the foot of her bed. Directly adjacent was a cat sized divot. Both were empty.

Shame faced over intruding, Lin withdrew, trudging down the hall and back into the kitchen. The kitlings had long since settled but still she paced back and forth, struggling to still her worried nerves. The echoing kitchen made her even more upset because it turned her home into a strange place. As the slider rattled in its tracks, letting the hissing wind scuttled beneath, gnawing on her bare ankles until she couldn't stand it anymore.

Yanking the tile hanging from a nail she slapped it onto the back door. It snapped against the wood like a loadstone to iron. Lin hauled it open just enough for her to squeeze through, shutting it hastily, listening for sounds of waking as she ran her eyes over the dark interior of Amano's front room. It smelled strongly of motor oil. It didn't take long for two males to make a mess. Dishes with old dried food were scattered on the dining room table as papers trailed over the edge onto the floor. Lin frowned at the overturned glass on the floor. It had spilled water all over the rug. The power was out here as well. She could hear fiercely blowing snow skating across the roof. Distantly windows in the kitchen whistled.

Further on down the hall a flicker of light soaked through a gap in the slider leading to Amano's bedroom. Creeping forward without making a sound, she peered inside nosily. Kai was fast asleep with his head pillowed on his father's knee, all but buried beneath a tattered indigo quilt nearly identical to the one on Mrs. Nikkou's bed. Lin had seen another of these quilts wadded into a ball atop the bunk in Hidé's boat. Lin's insides hummed with déjà vu because Amano was smoothing his son's hair. This wasn't something to dismiss. At once her pulse quickened with anticipation, because the god in her knew something important was about to happen.

Still wearing the clothes he'd worn earlier, the broken nosed human reclined against the wall on a thin pile of sagging pillows. His face was thrown into harsh half shadow by a kerosene lantern on the adjacent shelf, gleaming off the pink scar tissue on his arm and neck. Such sorrow soaked through his features. His once brown eyes were growing decidedly silver as he gazed with a tormented expression at the picture frame on a crate beside his bed. She followed his gaze to the photo and found familiar faces.

All except one.

Laughing out loud with a perfectly straight nose, a much younger Amano bent with mirth beside a teenaged Hidé. The blue-eyed fisherman looked absolutely mortified as he held up a laughably small fish. On his other side, pointing and doing exactly that, Kiri howled. She was wearing yellow. Amano had his hand on a young woman's shoulder, using her to keep from falling over. She was so young that Lin couldn't help but be shocked by her very pregnant belly, which was anything but hidden beneath one of the Onsen's indigo yukata. She had on a matching head scarf and was beaming a smile to match Mrs. Nikkou's. One hand was on her stomach. The other clutched the back of Amano's shirt, pulling him upright.

The strange woman's eyes were perfectly colorless.

Gray: just like Mrs. Nikkou's.

Even though Lin'd never met her she knew Manami instantly.

Lin recoiled from Amano's suffering as it cut her deeply.

She hated seeing him like this. It just wasn't right.

Unlike the humans she had no problem talking to ghosts.

Lin pulled her haori coat closer, tying it tightly above her bulging stomach. Then she wiped a hand over her face, pulling on her mask and tatter cloak. At once her blood sang with magic and it didn't matter that she wasn't wearing shoes. It didn't matter than any other human would've been knocked down by the strength of the wind screaming off the mountains. Even though she'd softened somewhat under the persistent influence of the mortal world Lin was anything but human. Her breath didn't so much as cast a cloud as she slipped out the back of the house into the driving snow.

* * *

 **HAKU**

Through empty streets the taxi roved, paving the dark in shimmering diamonds as is headlights spilled ahead of them. It was 2:05 AM according to the clock displayed on the console of the vehicle. The book signing and all its events had since come to a close. Shouta and Fuu had parted ways with him long ago.

Much to their chagrin they had lost the costume competition to a group of attendees including Kamaji, Lin, and Yubaba. Even though he was hidden behind his disguise and in spite of the cavalcade atmosphere it was difficult for Haku to take the stage and stand so near to the costumed humans. He was just as incapable of watching the moving story Shouta and Fuu had brought him to view while Chihiro and Satako were still signing books. Haku had been forced to leave moments after the moving pictures began. He lied, pleading fear of the crowds. In truth he could not bare to see the bath house resurrected before his eyes, not as it was now but as it had been. Instead Haku retreated back to the side of the stage to wait. Fuu and Shouta left him there with grinning smiles that set his face on fire, promising to come see him tomorrow, because they knew who Haku waiting for; so did Lydia.

Ever discrete, Chihiro's assistant suggested he would be more comfortable in the green room. Alone in the empty chamber and no longer privy to the scrutiny of others Haku took off his mask and hood. He could clearly see the signing table through the dark plate glass window from this vantage point. Slowly the crowds moved. After all the books were signed; after the questions answered and the prizes distributed, Chihiro and Satako retired from the atrium beneath a storm of uproarious applause that could be felt vibrating the very floor beneath his feet. But still he waited. Haku watched absently as the crowds dispersed. He watched the staff break down the staging and the cleaning crews pass through in wide sweeps with their brooms. After what felt like, and was indeed, _hours_ , finally the door to the green room yanked open.

Even now Haku clearly remembered the expression of desperate wanting etched on Chihiro's face as she came up short on the threshold. Wordlessly he opened his arms as she hobbled over half-limping due to her aching feet. He uttered a short laugh as she threw herself into his embrace, nearly knocking him over with her enthusiasm, crushing the air from his lungs as she tightened her arms around his middle. How he loved her in that moment. But before he could tip her chin up, before he could bring his face to hers and cover her lips with his as he had longed to do from the moment he saw her, Lydia came into the room. As if expecting this she was carefully watching the floor carrying two boxes obviously holding the kimono from earlier.

"Shall I call a couple of cabs?" Lydia inquired discretely, still not looking.

"Just one," Chihiro returned without hesitation as she continued to hug him.

Haku's mind returned to the present as Chihiro shivered beside him in spite of the heat blasting from the vents at the fore of the vehicle. Bundled in her coat, wearing street clothes, and chapped cheeked from scrubbing away the make-up she had worn earlier, Chihiro was fast asleep. Her head began to droop seconds after they left the enormous book store. Haku held his breath as she tipped against him soon after leaving behind the perpetual light of Shinjuku. He was forced to close his eyes as his heart pressed against his ribs, making his pulse flutter. Happily he cradled her with his arm lest she tip over completely.

Haku nuzzled the crown of her head, rewarded as she turned her face into his chest and sighed, tightening her hand on the front of his coat. Joy crowded his heart until it well almost painfully, squeezing in his throat and stinging his eyes, making him fight tears. It was a simple thing, holding her like this. It was so very common, so very human, which made it all that much more wonderful. Though it was all he wished for, Haku could not kiss her. The driver kept glancing back at them in the rear-view window. Before Haku could shame the human with a pointed glare the familiar face of Chihiro's gate lifted in front of the cab's headlights reminding him Aoyama was not far.

"That'll be 2500 yen."

A hand reached eagerly from the dark. Slightly annoyed by the fellow's rude stare Haku produced the amount in cash from his coat pocket. Jean Paul had been far more generous at the end of the day. But that he had managed to save a small amount of money was of little concern as Haku tried to rouse Chihiro. Unfastening her safety belt he gently brushed a hand over her cheek.

"We are home, dear one," Haku murmured tenderly, "You must wake but only for a moment."

"Kay," Chihiro sighed again.

She, however, did not sit up nor did she wake. Instead she cuddled closer. The smile inspired by her childlike reply took Haku by surprise, pulling his lips wider and wider until his cheeks ached. Though cold blasted him in the face as he exited the car he did not feel it. Coming around to the other side of the car gently he collected Chihiro from the seat, gathering her into his arms, and marveling at how light she was. Deftly Haku closed the door with his foot, perfectly balanced as he waited for the taxi roll away into the night. Only after the red tail lights winked out like closing eyes did he turn to face the gate through the veiled plume of his breath.

It was locked. So was the front door. He was loathe to wake her; and never again would he riffle about in her private things like a common thief. So he lifted his eyes to the top of the wall for it was not high. It was the height of the Kami Hour and even here magic hummed beneath the pavement like a persistent pulse that could not be completely smothered. He indulged in it without trouble, gathering it beneath the soles of his feet as he paced backwards a step or two. Not a soul was present to witness him spring from the ground, sending a gust of wind eddying down the street as easily he vaulted over the wall, landing lightly on the flagstones.

Chihiro did not so much as stir as he balanced her on one knee, freeing a hand to put on his glasses and take out his ring of keys. One gleamed bright brass in the dim light, unlocking the door as if destined for the task. Upon pushing through the curtain of warm air that breathed out of the front door at once Haku's eyes turned to the flat buttoned panel on the wall to the right of the entryway. A red light flashed silently as he shut the door. Hurriedly he shifted Chihiro again as he was directed by the glasses to push a sequence of buttons for some unfathomable reason. But then the light went green and that seemed to be good.

He blinked uncomfortably as at once the glasses pointed him toward the stairs as if he needed direction. Haku longed to take them off as they gave him a splitting head-ache if he wore them too long. Closing his eyes as he stepped out of his shoes Haku carried Chihiro upstairs by memory alone. These stairs were familiar and so was the hall. It made him happy to not feel an intruder in her home. Not bothering with the light Haku laid Chihiro on the soft blue comforter before folding his glasses and slipping them into the fold of his tatter cloak.

Carefully he removed Chihiro's shoes but soon realized he need not worry; she was fast asleep. He brought the shoes down to the entryway, all the while marveling at how she could walk upon such a spindly heel. Haku hung his coat and returned only to find Chihiro sprawled on her back in the middle of the bed. She had shucked her coat and clothes, tossing each garment to the four corners of the room. All that was left were the undergarments women of this era favored. They were black and brief and did nothing to hide what lay beneath.

Now he was the one staring rudely but he could not help himself; she was so very beautiful. Her pale bare skin gleamed in the dark like snow. Her messy hair spilled like ink across the bedspread as she shifted onto her side, leaving him following the curve of her hip into the narrow pocket of her waist. At once his hands longed to find that place, to cup and cover her flesh. His face ignited at the thought. Instantly heat flooded his limbs leaving an annoyingly familiar ache tightening between his legs. It drove him to the opposite side of the bed where he sat without so much as shifting the mattress. Guiltily Haku stole a glance at the cleft pressed between her breasts before lifting his eyes to her face, studying her pursed lips and the line still etched between her brows. She seemed so somber as if dreaming was a serious business. As if agreeing Chihiro sighed and shifted again, reaching out her hand as if searching for him.

"Kou?" She murmured drowsily.

The false name hurt to hear but not nearly so much as before.

"Here," Haku breathed back, covering her hand with his.

"I'm cold! Why's it so _cold_?" She muttered irritably, still asleep.

Shivering convulsively, Chihiro hugged his arm to her chest and half pulling him over her in the process. Catching himself with his other hand Haku fought the same sudden smile from earlier as it sent him buoyant with delight.

"You are above the covers, dear one. You would be warmer beneath."

Taking back his hands he tugged on the comforter until she shifted again, tucking up her legs so he could pull it free and cover her. But even as she settled into the pillows Chihiro reached again, obviously searching for him beneath the blanket. He hesitated for a moment because he wore nothing beneath the costume. His human clothes were still at the apartment Shouta shared with Kenka. But he cold not sleep in his robes; Fuu had worked far too hard to create the garments. Shyly he took them off; fighting with his messy hair as he neatly folded them and setting them on the side table. It was his turn to shiver as anticipation chased his every move, humming in the surface of his skin as he joined her beneath the soft blankets, pillowing his head beside hers.

It was such a simple thing to lie beside her, but how he cherished it. All day he had dreamed of this moment. Again he could not bring himself to touch her for fear he might wake and find himself dreaming. Chihiro, however, had no reservations about touching him. Haku fell perfectly still as she rolled over, worming her way between his arms before nuzzling her face against his sternum as she had the night before. It was an extremely pleasurable sensation, one that caught Haku by surprise.

At once wanting coiling in his gut, sharpening into a hungry throbbing that was also an insistent reminder of what yet remained unfinished between them. Drawing in a slow shuddering breath, Haku became very aware of the smooth slide of her thighs on his; the tickle of her taut nipples against his chest; and the press of her warm flat belly against something else entirely. He had only meant to lie beside her! But that odd bit of flesh hardened and tightened robbing him of the ability to think about anything but sex! It was a maddening place to be trapped, the narrow edge between lust and love. As he struggled with the disarming affection weighing in his heart and the goading fire sending coarse urges boiling in his blood, Haku felt Chihiro's lips curl into a grin against his skin.

"Hi," She murmured smolderingly.

Very much awake she pressed against him, running her hands down, down, down. Haku loosed a gasp, tossing his head back into the pillows as her hands found what lay between them. At the sound of his moan Chihiro surged against him, crushing her lips against his as the willing passion of her body followed. Haku had not expected her enthusiasm. In that moment lust won over reason. He had her on her back in a movement so quick a startled sound escaped her lips. But Chihiro melted beneath the weight of his body. She wrapped her glorious legs around his waist as he pinned her down, rocking against her in a slow suggestive movement. Running her hands through his hair, kissing him as he kissed her; she arched against him as he delved with his tongue as once she had showed him long ago. All the while he let his hands have their way.

Fascinated by the feel of her skin they discovered and explored every soft curve of her back and sides. Overwhelmed and gasping for air, Chihiro turned her face into his shoulder giving him leave to kiss the soft skin of her throat. The thrilling beat of her pulse fluttered beneath his lips and Haku sucked in a sharp breath, falling against her trembling under the explosion of pleasure that broke across his senses as she drew her nails up the skin of his back.

Making use of his momentary pause, in a lithe twist Chihiro took back her fingers to pop the clasp securing the lacy garment at her chest, tossing it aside even as his prodigal hands eagerly found what lay beneath. Cupping and squeezing, he brought one to his mouth remembering how it had pleased her before, rewarded as Chihiro collapsed back against the mattress with a ragged gasp. Oh, how it stirred the heat inside him knowing he had brought her to such an ecstatic state! Suckling and swirling with his mouth Haku swept and stroked with his hand the smooth plane of her stomach, fording farther and farther until his fingers dipped beneath the thin fabric, finding what she had shown him last night.

Again she cried out as he circled that silky secret place. All the while Chihiro clung to him as if afraid she might fly apart. Tasting the salt on her skin, feeling the furious thunder of her heart beneath his cheek, Haku thrilled with such satisfaction as he anchored her to the bed. How he reveled in knowing her in ways only a mortal could. What a blessing this body was for without it he would never know such love. He kissed the sweat slick skin between her breasts as his movements quickened, drawing her close and closer to that ultimate moment. Helplessly she followed, tossing her head and kicking off the covers as her hands opened and closed against his back as if she knew not what to do with herself.

"Wait…!" She sighed distantly, "Oh, Gods, Kou! _Please, wait!"_

At once he snatched away his hand, pushing back so abruptly he half dragged her off the bed with him. But even as Chihiro lapsed back against the covers smiling widely, she left him hanging over her, crouched on his knees and frozen with apprehension. While still a God he had hurt her while lost in a moment of passion. Though he was no longer a God she was still so very fragile. Timidly he placed a hand on her stomach, half cringing for fear of her answer.

"Did I hurt you, Chihiro?"

He blinked as she laughed, staring up at him with such hunger as she lifted her hands on his chest.

"A-are you kidding me!? No! Not at all!"

Haku wilted with relief at the contact and as she stroked her fingers back and forth he barely heard a word of her explanation.

"Didn't mean to kill the mood but I was really, _really_ close. That's kinda a big deal for me. It's usually hard for me to get anywhere near to _that_ and I wanted to wait."

Haku was glad she could not see his face in the dark because he was more than disappointed. Oh, he wanted her so badly it hurt physically! But for her he would do whatever need be done, even if that was to wait. With iron will he squashed the pang of lusty frustration that stirred angrily in his gust, all the while sitting back on his heels, taking her hands from his chest to chastely kiss her palms.

"I will wait as long as you need, Chihiro."

At once she sat up stammering and her knees knocked against his in the dark.

"No, no; that's not what I meant! S-sorry, I'm messing things up already. I'm no good at any of this. It's been a long time; _too_ long."

She dropped her face into her hands as if terribly embarrassed, laughing nervously confusing him to no end. All Haku could do was listen and struggle to understand.

"Look, I know we just met and this is probably _too_ fast. But I don't have any expectations, okay? I promise I won't get all clingy and weird in the morning."

When she put her hands on his knees they were shaking with fear and honesty.

"What I meant to say is I want to wait for you. I want you with me."

In the dark he could clearly see as she lifted her chin. Her lovely face rose like the moon from the curtain of her hair, pale and wide-eyed as if afraid he might refuse her. Oh, if only she knew just how impossible that was!

"I-is that okay?"

At the sound of her timid voice his heart squeezed inside his chest. For a moment it felt like his ribs might crack as they had on the rocks by the sea where he had almost lost his life. She wanted him! How brave she was to confess these things to him, sharing herself with him honestly even though they were still strangers. How he longed to no longer be a stranger to her. How he yearned to share with her the feelings reeling inside him. Circling and circling with such force, they eddied in the pools of his heart so deeply it was a wonder that he did not erode away and turn to dust.

He, however, could not; he could not speak of anything that had come before. He could never tell her how he had traveled across more than one world to find her. He could never speak aloud what trials and horrors he had overcome in order to reach this moment. So long as she slept that half of him would always be worse than a stranger, it must remain a secret. This he could endure. But how terrible that in this moment he could not even tell her that he loved her!? Not now; not yet. Instead tenderly Haku covered her hands with his as he had before; praying to all above that she could feel in the simple touch what he could not yet speak. This was all he could do. Then he lifted them to her face, collecting her into his hands and pulling her near, breathing across her lips the word he could speak aloud; quietly, so very quietly for fear it might break.

"Yes..."

She crashed against him like before, kissing him with such fervor until she tore away; leaving him in a lurch as at once she was fumbling with the top drawer in the bed side table. Plastic crinkled loudly in the dark as she fished something free. Returning to him she pressed a small square packet into his palm. Peering through the dark he read the words printed on the surface and found them unfamiliar. Latex condom? Squeezing it gentle he realized there was something inside that felt like a ring. Baffled, Haku scooted it round inside the package curiously. But he soon realized Chihiro was waiting expectantly. What she waited for he knew not. Finally embarrassment set his face so on fire it was a wonder he did not light up the dark.

"Chihiro, I…" Haku swallowed with difficulty as shame tightened his throat, but he forced himself to continue, "I do not know what to do."

She blinked and blinked, then blinked some more as understanding finally dawned on her. Still holding the thing awkwardly, Haku wished he shared her revelation. But then she explained gently as if trying to soothe his embarrassment.

"It's really important. We need to use one every time 'cuz I don't want to get pregnant."

For a moment the world went bright as Haku was stunned to stillness by what she had said. Pregnant; Chihiro said she could become pregnant. It was not impossible for a kami and a human to conceive, Hidé was living proof of that. Haku, however, had never considered that the same applied to he and Chihiro. Twice before they had apparently been very careless; he had not the presence of mind at the moment to truly consider all the terrible wonderful implications of what might have, but did not, happen. Haku knew not what to think of that. His heart was still racing as Chihiro began her calm instructions. Knowing what was about to come he found it hard to pay attention as Chihiro knelt at his knees so very close.

"Careful when you open it," she coached, "Kinda squeeze it off to the side."

Complying, Haku gritted his teeth at the sound of tearing plastic, frowning as something rubbery and wet slipped out into his fingers. Haku frowned in distaste.

"Chihiro, it is… _slippery_."

She giggled girlishly as if all this was terribly silly.

"That's a good thing. Lubrication is important." Here she fell quiet and her voice caught in her throat, husky with ardor, "Um, can I help with the next part?"

"Y-yes?" He stammered, at a loss for what else to say.

Haku shivered as shyly Chihiro ran her hands up his thighs, following to his hands, taking the thing and tossing the package. He jumped as the fingers of one hand returned to his chest, quickening his pulse and his breath as slowly it brushed down across his stomach only to stray lower and lower still. Gathering fistfuls of the coverlet, Haku held his breath in anticipation of what was to come. One could not prepare for such stunning sensations. He gasped aloud as her hand caressed the length of him; encompassing and stroking. Trembling beneath the power of it he was forced to bow his head. It knocked right into Chihiro's but she only laughed, low and soft, dismissing his broken apologies. With a moan Haku's hands whipped up to her shoulders as she grasped him firmly. All the while she was whispering against his forehead word that made little sense.

"Pinch the tip. Then roll it down all the way."

He shuddered at the uncomfortable sensation, sucking in a hissing breath.

"Ah…! Chihiro, it is _wet_ and _c-cold!_ "

Oh, human union was terribly complicated!

Again she laughed but this time alluringly, "Don't worry. I'll warm you up."

He fell still as she took his hands and placed them on the thin straps of the lacy black garment stretched across her middle. At once impatient desire ignited his blood anew, making him forget both wet and cold as heat burned beneath his skin, thrilling up into his throat as she leaned away from him. Chihiro lifted her hips and tucked up her legs as gently he eased the tiny garment free. He cast it aside Chihiro lay back against the pillows all the while reaching. Though she was bared before him all he could see in that moment were her eyes. Even in the dark they seemed to find him, looking up at him with such silent certainty.

Oh, these eyes; they held his world.

They were his sun and sky, his wind and rain.

Haku fell into them, fell into her smell and her softness as he lowered himself over her, answering the touch of her skin with his own. Their breath mingled as his stomach flattened over hers, hips sliding against the smooth soft skin inside her thighs as her knees folded up at his sides. Haku cried out as she yielded to him, clinging to her while clenching his eyes against the astonishing pleasure spilled through him. Oh, there was no such warmth in either of the worlds that could compare to this! But there was more; so much more!

This Chihiro demanded as she lifted her hips against him. He yielded to her as she called him closer with her soft needful sighs. Willfully she arched, dragging from him another breathless moan. All he could do was give himself to instinct for he was still new among the intense corporeal sensations. The power of glorious friction alone left him quaking and almost afraid. Haku followed, struggling to obey as her arms twined around his neck, pulling him down onto her until he feared he might crush her. Chihiro was anything but crushed. He drove himself nearer and near with each thrust of his hips, following her every movement as closer they came to finding each other.

Oh, such fire frenzied inside him! He could feel it building hotter and hotter until it was a wonder smoke did not curl from his lips and nose! He could hardly breathe as it filled him with such coiled impatient fervor until it felt like he would snap! Even as Chihiro threw herself against him he could feel her tiring.

"It's okay," she hushed as her strength ebbed, "This can be about you."

It took Haku a moment to realize she was offering up her pleasure in deference to his. Twice before he and Chihiro had struggled to find each other in union such as this. The first time he knew not what he was doing and had finished without her. The second was a stolen moment lost as soon as it was gained. As she had said, it was apparently uncommon for her to find completion. At once Haku was determined not to loose her this time. At once he remembered how she had trapped him on her futon, tickling him mercilessly and pinning him with her body in the first waking moments of his mortality. So swiftly she had not a chance to protest, Haku slide his hands beneath her shoulders and rolled to the side, bring her with him.

Utterly surprised Chihiro's eyes flew wide as she caught herself on his chest, spilling forward over her spreading palms. Haku laughed merrily as she squealed like a mouse, tucking up his knees and craning his neck to kiss her. Chihiro denied him as she sat back onto her heels, tossing her head and crossing her arms to pout prettily. On its purple cord and nestled between her lovely naked breasts his scale flashed in the dark, pooling uncanny iridescence. That she kept it on pleased him to no end. Her playful childishness only drove his smile wider.

How wonderful it was to have her astride him once more! How delicious was the gentle weight of her body over his. Tilting his head to the side and peering between the strands of the tangled mess that was his hair with shy suggestion, slowly Haku brushed his hands up the top of her legs, careful not to touch the burn on her thigh. As he did he lifted his hips against hers slowly, ever so slowly. Obviously he had done something correctly because Chihiro's eye lids fluttered as she loosed a breathy gasp. Folding under the weight of sudden pleasure, she grasped his arms as again he moved beneath her.

"As I said," Haku murmured, "I am happy to wait as long as you desire."

Lacing her fingers though his, Chihiro made a wordless sound as she tossed back her hair, gazing down at him hungrily and biting her lip as heat flushed her cheeks. She straightened only to sway forward, rising up for a moment only to sink. Haku sucked a breath through his teeth loudly, arching off the tangled coverlet as he answered her body's challenge with renewed vigor. Bending beneath the strength of what she was feeling Chihiro rode above him as she had when first they were one. Still Haku waited; waited for her as she had waited for him; holding back even as she pushed him to the brink.

By some miracle he felt the approaching tremors just as she did. As if all of this remained a mystery; as if she did not expect it herself; Chihiro's eyes flew wide and she went perfectly still. For a moment, the slimmest thinnest moment, she stared as if seeing him. He had no time to consider her awed expression because sheer forceful feeling struck him momentarily blind. He and Chihiro cried aloud as the boundaries between them gave as only they could when flesh and soul became one.

Headlong they crashed into indescribable pleasure but this time together. It sent him arching off the coverlet, at once upright and winding his arms around Chihiro as she fell against him in her throes. As she struck him Haku rang as if he had become a bell tolling the coming dawn. But it was not morning yet. Not yet. Breathlessly Haku kissed her in the dark as they collapsed onto the pillows, holding her with such agonizing carefulness as the tides in his chest turned to love, eroding him until he was brittle with want to speak aloud the words echoing in his heart.

How he loved her! Body and soul, he loved her!

But he could not speak it yet.

Not yet.


	32. Chapter 32

**CHIHIRO**

Utterly content Chihiro sprawled on the mattress.

Staring at the dark ceiling absently she wondered if she could stand. Her legs shivered and trembled, weak from exertion as she tucked up her knees only to wince. She was more than a little sore and rightfully so. She couldn't remember the last time she had sex. Sex: the word sent her insides tightening with exultant glee, because _oh-my-God!_ She was still panting, struggling to catch her breath as distantly the toilet flushed. The bathroom door opened a moment later and the overhead light spilled over Kou, illuminating his naked body as he paused in the doorway.

Wow…

Her breath caught in her throat as she found herself staring. Chihiro forced herself to be honest. She wasn't staring, she was _gawking_. And how could she not!? Every muscle of his rock hard stomach and taut chest and biceps was chiseled into sharp relief in the light. He could've been cut from marble! And then there were his legs. Yes, please! Endlessly long, lean, and lithe; which was not surprising considering he danced. It was hard not to remember the feel of his muscular thighs pressed against her back as they climaxed. Immediately blood rushed into her cheeks and a hungry stab tightened in the pit of her stomach even though she'd just had the best orgasm of her life!

Through the dark his eyes found hers. They glinted like green glass caught in the sun, almost glowing beneath the shaggy fringe of his impossible hair. Noticing her noticing him, shyly Kou dropped his chin as pink rouged his cheeks. She both loved and hated it when he did that! Suddenly her heart squeezed in her chest so severely it almost hurt, taking her by surprise. It wasn't the first time he'd inspired such a reaction. She'd been struck by something similar in the donut shop and this time she didn't shy from it.

Chihiro grinned widely as Kou approached the bed side, flowing on his feet as if lighter than air. Hooking her legs over the edge, standing shakily, she threw out her arms and caught him against her. At once he bent his head, happily offering what she sought. Even though it was terrible and mean, she didn't kiss him, teasingly pulling back at the last moment and quickly ducked out of his embrace, heading for the bathroom with an even wider grin. Kou uttered a disappointed sound that turned to a playful growl as he reached after her, pursuing so swiftly he'd caught her against him before she realized it. Man, he was fast! Laughing, she pushed uselessly at his chest but his arms held like iron bars, holding her against him.

"I know, that wasn't nice, huh?"

"No," he murmured low and sultry, "It was not."

No longer shy at once he claimed her mouth, tightening his arms around her waist and turning her already compromised legs to rubber as he bent her backwards. Sparklers broke out behind her eyes as all kinds of chills and thrills lit across her skin, especially where it touched his. At once she breathed in his smell, the smell of rain and wild things and her insides went absolutely molten. Wow! _Wow, wow, wow!_ He could've carried her back to bed. She would've let him if she didn't have to use the bathroom so badly!

"I'll be right back," she gasped against his lips, nodding at the bathroom.

Reluctantly he let go, retreating back to the bed like some kind of Greek sculpture come to life. Shamelessly she stared at his butt through a crack in the door. Then Chihiro cleaned herself up on warp-speed, simultaneously brushing her hair and teeth. Shivering against the cold she flicked off the light. The glowing red face of the clock was the only light as she blindly hurried back to bed. It was 3:07 AM. Not that she cared about anything beyond her bed as Kou held up the blanket. Climbing into his waiting arms, she pillowed her head on his shoulder with a happy sigh. Oh, she could so get used to this. For the first time in a long while she felt safe in her own bed, not afraid of every settling snapping sound. It was so good not to be alone. Absently she ran her hands over his chest. It was absolutely smooth and fascinating to touch. She traced the long lines of the scars on his chest and stomach, running her fingers back and forth across the raised lines in thoughtless fascination. Like her scar they were eerily cold to the touch. It wasn't until Kou winced that she realized what she was doing. At once Chihiro snatched back her hand as her insides burned with consternation.

"It is alright, Chihiro," gently Kou returned her hand to his stomach, covering it with his own, "You may touch them only please be gentle. Sometimes they ache."

Now the marks felt even colder beneath her fingers. Chihiro didn't ask where he'd gotten them. She knew what it was like to have a weird scar. You got sick of questions really quick. By way of apology she took his hand and put it on the burn on her thigh, murmuring against his shoulder.

"Mine does that too. Sometimes it hurts so badly I have to sit down."

Kou went still, growing heavy with the racing thoughts she could almost hear zooming and racing around his head. Her ear was pressed to his chest so she clearly heard his heartbeat quicken.

"May I ask you something?" He began in the barest whisper.

"Sure."

"What did you mean when you said you had no expectations?"

Chihiro blinked rapidly as at once her heart flew into her mouth on wings of panic. She hadn't expected this conversation to come so soon. At once her heart crumbled inside her chest, leaving a hollow ache that afforded her nothing but the truth. She had to swallow to speak, taking a deep breath before she forced herself to reply.

"This was _amazing_ … I'm not joking when I say I've never had anything like it. And if it's okay I want to see you again. But, I know what it's like to loose someone. I know what its like to not be ready to give them up. So I don't want you to feel like this means something if you're not ready yet. No strings or expectations. That's what I meant."

There. That wasn't so hard. She was surprised by calm in the wake of that omission because a younger Chihiro might have burst into tears.

"Chihiro, I… I cannot lie to you…"

He began with quiet difficulty in that reticent solemn way of his that instantly had her believing every word. Chihiro's heart started up into her mouth again because this wasn't the sympathetic _I like you, but…_ speech she had been expecting. This was something else entirely.

"In truth I journeyed here looking for the one I lost."

He took a shuddering breath, turning his face toward the ceiling. She could feel him shaking with fear as if afraid to admit what was on his mind. Oh, she wished it wasn't dark! She wished she could see him! Then he spoke and she was hanging on his every word.

"I never thought to come this far. From the very beginning I knew this was a fool's errand. But I am a fool and still I had to try. Now that I am here and lost in the place I realize I may never see her again. Once that might have killed me, but strangely now I find I do not care. That is because I found you, Chihiro."

Kou drew her closer; tucking her head under his chin and holding her with the same careful desperate affection he'd always shown her.

"I _want_ you to have expectations, Chihiro. I _want_ you to bind me in strings. I want you, Chihiro! But I am so very afraid of frightening you away with that wanting. And it is as you said; you know what it is like. And I cannot ask anything of you if you are not ready yet."

He was whispering now, voice thick with barely restrained emotion as it stirred in her hair. But his words remained quietly strong in spite of what they apparently cost him. She wasn't surprised he knew about Hidé. Hell, thanks to the tabloids the whole fucking world knew about Hidé. She was sick of having her life turned into a tragedy for everyone to read, which is why the way Kou talked about it struck her so deeply. He didn't smother her in pity her like everyone else did. Instead he acknowledged what happened with solemn respect that allowed her keep her dignity. Unlike everyone else in her life right now he really seemed to get it. Oh, that was so very wonderful. Again her chest clenched with such intense feelings that tears pricked her eyes. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close and squeezing until her arms ached.

"I let go of what happened in Kumomi a while ago," she murmured back with the same strange calm she'd found earlier, "So you don't have to be scared because I'm not."

So she lifted her face and kissed him.

Kissed him until she couldn't breathe as he crushed her beneath him.

It wasn't until the sky was turning gray that they finally fell asleep.

* * *

 **LIN**

The power was out in Kumomi as well.

All the same, sporadic lights showed in the swirling dark.

These halos of cold fire struggled to throw their brightness against the crushing power of night. They reminded Lin of the onibi (1) that used to clot in clouds like fireflies beneath the spindly black pine forests above Lake Shikaribetsu (2). But even these lights paled beneath the storm's fury; blotted out and smothered by ice and snow. Not that she needed light to see to know where she was going.

Now that she'd been walking a while the cold didn't seem to touch her anymore. The snow was so dry it creaked and compacted beneath her bare feet almost pleasantly. It was so fine and powdery it was like walking on flour. And in a way it was oddly thrilling to have the world to herself. Not a human dared venture outside as she made slow progress through the deserted streets. Soon the highway lifted over her head in an eerie snaking shadow. It did nothing to hold back the tributaries of white dumping from the sky. The banisters of the stairs leading up the adjacent hill were crystallized with sharp teeth of ice as she crossed under the looming stone torii marking the entrance to the Sengen Jinja temple.

The door of temple residence wasn't locked. She let herself in, trying not to let too much of the snow storm follow. It was jarringly warm inside, smelling strongly of incense and cedar smoke. The hallway stretched the entire length of the building ahead of her, unnervingly long as it seemed to reach off into nothing. Shaking the snow from her shoulders Lin slunk forward in perfect silence until she stopped in front of a door, sniffing the air to be sure. But already she knew this was Kiri's room.

Slipping inside, Lin glanced about curiously. This place far better suited what she'd seen of the girl thus far. Everything was either black or yellow and violently striped. Ugh… _Yellow…_ Not surprisingly, like the rest of her life Kiri's room was an absolute mess. The walls and ceiling were covered by large sheets of glossy paper until you couldn't see any of the original surfaces. As if they were gods to be worshiped, strangely dressed humans with abnormally colored hair were pictured on every one. Lin's eyes sharpened on the adjacent pile of blankets as they sighed and shifted. Somewhere beneath Kiri was sleeping. But Lin's gaze drifted to the side; following something few people, human or kami, could see.

"I know you're there," Lin muttered, "Come out."

Suddenly the dark pooling beside the girl's bed moved. Unnervingly the shadows coalesced, lifting and solidifying until the transparent shape of the woman from Amano's photograph stood beside Kiri's bed. The ghost was older than she'd been in the photo but she still wore Onsen's yukata. There was no mistaking the white dragon curling along the hem. Manami wasn't at all what Lin expected. She was cold and strange, not at all the laughing light hearted human she had been before. Her eyes were still gray; uncannily bright and more kami-like than anything else. They gleamed in the dark as if reflecting some distant light.

"You are unwelcome, _spirit,_ " a hot stab of anger started up Lin's chest making her growl threateningly, "You inhabit another being without consent."

The ghost cringed, afforded humanness for the first time as she looked away nodding in acknowledgment.

"Kiri knows there's something inside her but she doesn't know what," Lin spat grimly, "The girl's not a complete dope. She's gonna figure things out."

Manami continued her reticent shrinking, paling as if about to disappear. That only made Lin even more pissed! Stomping her foot, Lin startled the shadow into solidity

"Don't you dare fade," Lin began scathingly, "Tomoe told Amano about you!"

Manami's eyes widened turning to glowing points of incandescent fire that lit the dark. A flurry of snow swirled around her as the temperature in the room plunged in response to the ghost's disquiet.

"Amano and Kiri have a real chance of being happy. They deserve that chance after all they've been through. Those two idiots are _still_ trying to figure themselves out. But then out of nowhere _you_ show up!"

In hindsight she wasn't proud of the fact that anger made her cruel, but old habits died hard. Now that she had the shadow's attention Lin chewed on every word to keep it quiet. She would've put preferred to stomp and shout. In lieu of those things she stabbed her finger at the specter accusingly.

"You only get one life, ghost! Why t'hell are you here?!"

At once Manami's silvery eyes boiled with exasperation. Her face hardened with resolve as Manami reached out to touch the pile of blankets. Kiri sat bolt upright as the blankets tumbled off her, eyes closed and shoulders sagging as if still asleep. The girl's head lolled to the side as her breath plumed in a cloud of white. Manami's hand was thin as smoke as it fell on Kiri's shoulder, making the human shuddered violently as her lips parted. She began to speak in a delicate hollow voice that did not belong to her.

" _If you want to talk this is the only way I can."_

It was interesting that the ghost didn't have the clipped Kumomi accent. Then Kiri's eyes opened, revealing they had rolled back in her head showing nothing but white. Lin recoiled in horror, backing into the wall so swiftly it jolted. She gritted her teeth, not liking this at all, but what other option was there.

"Fine! Talk!"

Manami once again took Kiri's voice as her own and as the temple maiden spoke her breath blew from her lips in a cloud of white.

" _O-Inari-sama chose me to bring Kiri back."_

Lin's went perfectly still with shock over that revelation. But then again, the Goddess had brought Lin back from a similar place recently. It was hard not to smell camphor and hear chiming dripping water as she remembered what happened. But then Manami spoke, tearing Lin back to the present.

" _The Forgotten hollowed Kiri into a perfect vessel._ (3) _The circumstances of what she's endured is the only reason I can remain. I'm still learning how to control myself in this form so I'm sorry if I frightened you earlier."_

Lin waved that explanation off, struggling to find her voice through confusion.

"I don't care about all that. I want to know why she sent you back!"

Manami lifted her eyes to the ceiling and frowned.

" _Kiri and Kei are children of this shrine. They serve O-Sengen-sama as I serve O-Inari-sama. It is unfortunate that O-Sengen-sama refuses her mortal children. And so it is O-Inari-sama's will that I remain as protection."_

All of a sudden Manami had gone grim like she'd had a long hard look at the future and knew what was coming. Cold dread slowly spidered its way up Lin's spine. She did not like the way the ghost was talking.

"Something tells me you know something I don't," Lin whispered.

The ghost's cold eyes glimmered enigmatically as they returned to her.

" _I am only a messenger. I know only O-Inari-sama's will."_

Abruptly the ghost's gaze shifted to the door seconds before Keiichi pulled it open and stamped inside. The young priest was disheveled with sleep. His hair was flat on one side and he wore a very unpriestly set of striped pajamas. Lin shrank against the wall, fading into obscurity as he struggled to put on his glasses and finally succeeded.

"Will y'shut up, Kiki?!" Keiichi griped like a petulant six-year-old, "I'm trying t'sleep!"

Blinking blearily, he took a long look at his sister then slowly a frown sharpened his face. As if struggling to do so, finally Manami snatched back her hand, retreating across the room and dissolving into the deepest shadows. At once Kiri sagged and flopped back onto the bed, startling Keichi.

"K-Kiki?"

Fully awake, he crept forward staring askance at his sister, growing even more unnerved as his shivered. Lin inched for the door only to pause as Keichi's attention slide sideways pulled as if against his will. His brow crumpled with confusion as he followed something from the edge of the bed, tracing it across the floor to the opposite side of the room. Shaking now, Keiichi's ragged breath clouded the air ahead of him in mists of white as he took a timid step towards the corner, peering closely. Soundlessly the priest threw himself backwards the same way someone might recoil from a snake they'd found in the grass. Keiichi, however, hadn't seen a snake. Lin barely resisted the urge to catch him as the priest stumbled on the junk cluttering Kiri's floor, backpedaling just as the lights overhead flickered on.

With a strangled cry Lin cringed from the deafening hum of electricity, clamping her hands over her ears and screwing her eyes shut against the stabbing blades of bright. Oh, it _hurt!_ Lin ripped off her mask, letting her Godform fade as she took up human guise with a sigh of relief. It was then that she realized Keiichi had been watching the whole time. Meeting his incredulous stare she watched his already white face wipe with recognition. It was then that she noticed his perfectly wide eyes. They were brown, but surfacing like gathering frost a ring of silver perfectly encircled his pupils.

" _Y-y-you!"_ The priest pointed, stuttering beneath his breath, " _It was you!"_

She recoiled out into the hall hastily remembering how he'd caught a glimpse of her mask and cloak before. This time, however, she'd revealed herself unwittingly and he'd seen everything.

"Keii?" Kiri mumbled sleepily as she surfaced from the blankets, oblivious to everything that'd happened, "What t'hell are you doin' in my room?"

Not surprisingly Lin panicked. As Keii turned toward his sister Lin fled, nearly trampling the senior priest as he shuffled into the hall with the aid of a walker. Upon seeing her the old man bowed happily in spite of his difficulty, drawing back into his doorway as she passed like an arrow loosed from a bow.

"Hello, O-kami-sama," Goshiro murmured reverently, "Goodbye, O-kami-sama."

" _Wait!"_ Keiichi's cry was the last she heard before she plunged out into the roaring snow. Unlike last time he didn't follow.

Blindly she plunged into the blizzard not caring where she was going so long as she left the temple residence behind. Lin stumbled as she sank into a bank of snow that turned out to be a bowed tree. The drift gave under her as she fell, revealing the pocket of air beneath. Snow crumbled in on her like powdered sugar until she was completely cocooned. Again déjà vu hit her full force as she remembered dark burrows from long ago. She'd forgotten how quiet and still it was beneath the ground and still. Right now Lin very much wanted stillness so she lay there on her side buried in snow trying to catch her breath. Slowly the den became warm from her trapped body head especially since she was wearing the quilted coat Usagi had made for her.

Lin hadn't realized she'd fallen asleep until something snuffled the snow above her, passing back and forth before suddenly digging down towards her. Instinct took over and she growled loudly, clawing and biting the invader as something seized her shoulder.

" _Ouch! Ouch-ouch!"_ Suzume yipped in surprise, letting her go and retreating before growing angry,"Woman! What on earth are you doing!?"

Blinking rapidly Lin sat up and pushed her way through the snow. Frozen air blasted her cheeks and stung the inside of her lungs. It was barely dawn and the bare sky was a brilliant indigo, making the dome of night yawn into an impossible vastness. Lin felt absolutely tiny as all the universe hung above her. Massive downy crown of snow floated like cotton batting atop the temple complexes many roves, over which Lin could see Kumomi bay. The beach and distant rocks were coated in white and enormous icicles hung in glittering points from the rope anchoring the two islands together. Beyond the harbor the cone of Mount Fuji was stained rosy pink and dusty purple as the sun warmed the eastern sky.

Beautiful… So very beautiful.

Lin barely had a chance to look as Suzume caught her arm. He had given up his old man guise and was dressed in gold finery at odds with the snow. All the same the fox pulled her upright only to flounder as the drift shifted and buckled beneath him. He uttered another shrill yip as he slipped into her, nearly knocking them both back into the burrow. At once she was the one holding him up. Clasping her only arm around his middle and anchoring them in place, snow shifted down the hill all around them. Lin chuckled gleefully as surprised pinched the God's handsome face. He looked at her sharply, regaining some dignity as the disquiet in his golden eyes glimmered like foxfire.

"You frightened me, beloved," he began sharply, "I returned and you were gone."

Lin snorted. Oh, this was just like him. He could take off whenever he pleased but as soon as she got a wild hair and slipped away he was quaking with separation anxiety.

"Sorry. I fell asleep."

"Here?" Suzume demanded incredulously as he turned his gaze around the foundering snow covered hillside, "You chose to sleep _here!?"_

"I like snow," Lin quipped.

Suzume sighed in exasperation as a crisp wind smelling strongly of salt spilled his inky hair over his shoulders, ticking her face with silky threads. His hands tightened on her shoulders as he pulled her closer. She had to turn her back so he could hold her. All kinds of knots eased inside her head as Lin leaned into him. Suzume rested his cheek on the crown of her head, covering her stomach with his hands as they stood waist deep in snow watching the coming dawn.

"I went to see Kiri," Lin finally blurted as heat crept into her cold chapped face.

"I see," Suzume returned quietly, "And?"

Lin wrestled with where to begin, "Manami is not what I expected."

Suzume flinched at the name, withdrawing as slowly he turned his eyes out over the bay where the woman drowned. Another gust of frigid wind breathed up off the water, making the trees shed their snow as the God's melancholy silence deepened. The fox's voice was tight with restrained emotion when finally he spoke.

"Must we speak of this now, Hayashimi?"

She turned her head until her forehead was pressed beneath his chin, reaching back with her only arm to run her fingers through his hair. Suzume let loose a sigh as he leaned on her heavily. But unlike the trees Lin didn't bend, at least not that much. Even though what the ghost had said still weighed on her, Lin could wait.

"Later," She murmured gently, "Right now I just want to go home."

* * *

 **HAKU**

Haku had been forced to borrow some of Chihiro's clothes.

He could not cook breakfast while dressed like Kaonashi.

Chihiro produced an oversized cotton shirt that fit him well enough. It only bared his stomach when he lifted his arms. The black drawstring pants she wore to bed fit his hips; unfortunately they were far too short. The morning air was cold on his bare shins as the hem hit just below the knee. Chihiro had done her best not to laugh at him only to fail. He had been forced to join her, because it was indeed a silly thing. Unfortunately now Haku was no longer laughing. Nervously twisting a dish towel behind his back he hovered on the opposite side of the kitchen island as if proximity to the food he had just prepared might somehow sully its taste. Holding his breath he watched Chihiro bring the fork to her mouth. She chewed for a moment only to pause.

"Is it terrible?" He hushed in mortification, "Shall I make another?"

"No!" She actually picked up her plate and held it away from him for fear he might take it, "This is _so good!"_

Haku knew her compliment was sincere as she shoveled another forkful of omelet to her mouth, momentarily lost beneath the tousled mess of her wild hair as she ate hastily. They had worked up quite an appetite.

"I thought you said you couldn't cook?"

Haku looked up only to find her gazing at him with her lovely brown eyes, making his chest squeeze dizzily.

"The others arrive at the restaurant quite early. Kenka tells me there is often not enough time to eat before work begins. I arrive earlier than the others so I have taken to preparing the morning meal."

Chihiro blinked, "That's really sweet of you."

He flushed under her praise.

"It apparently has been to my benefit. Jae enjoys my cooking so much he promoted me from dishwashing and food preparation." Haku nodded at her plate, "At the moment this is all I know how to make."

"You can make this any time. I could eat this forever."

Haku ducked his head to hide his pleased smile.

"I am glad it pleases you, Chihiro. If you like, shall I make for you each new dish I learn? Perhaps you will find something you enjoy more then you shall not have to eat omelets for the rest of your life."

"Yes, please!" Chihiro sang in her childlike way before sipping her coffee.

Oh, how his heart swelled with happiness in that moment. It may not have seemed so but this was an immense achievement. With his own hands he could now provide food for Chihiro. Were he still a God that would be an impossibility. Bringing over his plate and cup of coffee, Haku sat beside her on the tall spindly chairs and they ate together. As she settled back with a sigh patting her stomach happily, Chihiro turned to him with a thoughtful stare. Blinking rapidly and suddenly unsure, he glanced at her through the thick fringe of his hair, automatically shrinking from her scrutiny. Then she reached out and gently lifted his chin with her hand.

"You're always hiding," her soft smile was encouraging, "Don't."

Heat climbed into his cheeks and he struggled not to immediately drop his chin.

"It has only recently become habit. I have not always been so bashful."

"Really?" Chihiro grinned as if she did not believe him.

Haku fought a sardonic smile, "For a long while I was a conceited, pompous ass."

Chihiro nearly spilled her coffee as she loosed an explosively incredulous laugh, slapping a hand over her mouth. Taking a moment to compose herself she murmured between her fingers, still laughing with her eyes as she gave him a sidelong glance.

"That's not possible!"

Haku was grinning now as he straightened his back and tossed his head imperiously. He sniffed loftily and looked down his nose at her, making her giggle uncontrollably behind her hands.

"It is true."

"No! I don't believe you!"

"Even my sister will tell you so," Haku pulled a wounded frown that broke as she laughed even harder.

Chihiro shoved him playfully, "I want details because I _still_ don't believe you!"

"We were employed at a Sento." (4)

"You're kidding me!?" Instantly she was excited, "That's so cool!"

Slowly Haku's mirth dissolved as the truth came pouring out of him. The questions were rightfully hers to ask but from this moment onward he would have to be careful with his words.

"I was in charge of accounting whereas my sister was in charge of cleaning. I did not value her work. I believed myself to be better than the others. I did not see how the others cared for me, washing my clothes and cooking my meals. Then when I thought I no longer needed them I left."

Chihiro blinked as she straightened, taking back her hands to reveal a frown. Haku looked away, looked at anything but her as shame burned his face. But he was not finished yet.

"I discovered I was wretched and lonely and that pride is a terrible thing."

Slowly she sat down her coffee cup, besieged with whether or not to ask the question he could clearly see in her. Finally Chihiro lost her fight and he cringed from the inevitable.

"W-what happened?"

"When I returned the Sento was gone. It was not until I lost both home and family that I realized how much I dearly needed them."

Deliberately Haku disobeyed her earlier directive and dropped his chin. He did not want her to see the brimming in his eyes. What good it was to hide from her Haku was not sure because she leaned against him consolingly, pillowing her cheek on his shoulder as she spoke in a quiet voice.

"I'm sorry."

Quickly he planted a kiss on her cheek, surprising her. As she straightened he slipped away, gathering their plates and retreating to the sink. He had the hot water soapy in seconds, scrubbing vigorously. Work helped cover the pain still burning in his heart. Drawing an invigorating breath he tossed his head, continuing in a light voice that did not match what he was feeling. And he could not bring himself to look back.

"Do not be sorry, Chihiro. In all fairness it was a terrible place. The owner was a horrible witch and she worked us like slaves. We found our true home shortly after. It took some time, but eventually my sister forgave me for abandoning her. They all did."

Chihiro brought her coffee cup over under the pretense of refilling it. Instead she loitered beside him, picking up a towel and drying. She drew closer and closer until she bumped into him but did not apologize. He flashed a grin at her them bumped her back.

"So," Chihiro began, "You talk about your sister a lot and I realize I don't even know her name."

"Hayashimi," Haku almost blurted, "Her name is Hayashimi."

"Wow, that's pretty," She blinked then pulled a dismissively moue, "Certainly a lot more unusual than mine."

"Your name is lovely, Chihiro," he spoke it aloud on purpose.

"So…" She began again in that thoroughly endearing offhand way that made it difficulty for Haku not to answer her, "Would it be terrible if I have first shower? I've still all kinds of gunk on my face and in my hair from the book signing make-up."

"By all means. It will give me a chance to finish these."

"Thanks for doing the dishes," She wilted as if embarrassed, hiding her face in her hands, "Michio usually cooks so the kitchen's always a mess. She's an okay cook but I really _hate_ doing dishes. "

"Then you shall never do them again," Haku pronounced firmly, turning to plant a kiss on her head before scooting her with his hip toward the door, "Go shower."

Again she surfaced pink in the cheeks as if surprised by his affection. More than reluctant she retreated to the kitchen archway only to spin on her heel and call back to him. She was wearing nothing more than a long shirt to match his. Fully aware of what she was doing she lifted her arms, hanging on the jamb with a mischievous grin as her legs were left almost entirely bare. It was impossible not to stare and at once Haku went bright red.

"Think about what you want to do for the rest of the day, kay? Tokyo Tower; Odaiba Island; Kabuki-za; whatever you want to do, my treat."

Then she was gone and Haku listened to her light steps as she skipped up the stairs and down the upstairs hall. The shower hissed on seconds later. The heat in his face spread like wildfire making him half consider following her. So preoccupied was he with the memory of Chihiro's bare legs that he did not hear the car as it pulled into the garage. He had grown desensitized to the sounds of passing vehicles. Haku nearly dropped the plate he was holding as Michio ripped open the back door to the house. Clutching the dish as if it might protect him Haku gaped wordlessly as the strange mortal stormed into the house.

Michio arrived under a dark cloud of pain, chemicals, and sharply smelling misery. Half the hair on her head was hacked off at odd lengths whereas the rest remained long. It was dyed a brilliant synthetic purple. Teetering atop platform boots of an impossible height the tiny human stomped into the vestibule adjoining the kitchen, hurling down her bag and keys before crumbling to a seat on the very floor as she unzipped and tugged off her shoes. Next she tore off the violently striped black and purple scarf she'd wound around her neck, throwing her dark glasses at the wall. Haku jumped as they shattered into sharp shards of plastic.

"Chihiro!" Michio shouted tearfully at the top of her lungs, " _Chihiro!"_

Haku doubted Chihiro could hear anything over the shower. As the human lifted her face he saw the reason for her distress. Michio had a black eye and a fat lip, both newly dealt. There were equally new bruises in the shape of fingers on her narrow throat. At once she was crying and Haku flew into a panic. Inching forward and starting to speak several times, he tried to think of something to say, something to offer that might help only to have his voice fail him. Oblivious to the fact he was there, angrily the woman dashed the tears aside and threw herself upright only to almost to walk right into him. Haku was forced to back peddle sharply as he blurted a hasty greeting

"G-Good morning, Michio?"

It was more question than greeting. At least she heard him. Michio jerked back, blinking up at him as if seeing him for a first time. Then she screamed right in his face. Flecks of spit hit him in the eye and he recoiled sharply. Gods above, the lungs of this creature! She screamed so loud and shrill Haku was forced to throw his hands over his ears for it felt like they might burst! He dropped the dish. It shattered on the ground at his feet, scaring him so completely a raw chord of terror was touched somewhere deep inside him. Then he was gone, moving so quickly he left a wind in his wake.

Oh, his heart was thundering in his ears, making him light headed as he resolved back inside Chihiro's bedroom with his back to the wall. Again Haku jolted as Chihiro flew out of the bathroom with soap foamed in her hair; dripping water everywhere as she battled to keep on the too small towel she was currently using to cover herself. She came up short as he straightened. All the while from the distant kitchen there poured such a vicious flood of obscenities.

" _Get t'FUCK outta my house you piece o' shit before I go ginsu on your ass with my Rachel Rae knives! If you so much as touched one FUCKIN' hair on Chihiro's head I'm gonna gut you alive an' use your FUCKIN' INTESTINES as boot laces!"_

Truly afraid for his life Haku pointed at the obvious.

"M-Michio is h-home."

* * *

 **Notes** :

(1) Onibi 鬼火 = "demon fire." They are the Japanese counterpart to the English "Will o' the wisp".

(2) Lake Shikaribetsu is a volcanic lake in Hokkaido where Lin is from.

(3) Miko have a long history of becoming possessed by Gods, in fact historically speaking it was their primary job description. In ancient times before the arrival of Confucism and Buddhism in Japan, both patriotically systems of government and philosophy, the miko held a very powerful position in indigenous Japanese religion. She was the means thru which communication with the Gods took place.

However unclean and touched by death she is, Kiri was/is a temple maiden, i.e. a miko. Kiri's circumstances are unusual in that because she was pretty much eaten by The Forgotten, metaphysically speaking she's been hollowed out and has become a perfect "garment" for any displaced soul. Hence Manami is riding around inside her in order to stay in the mortal world.

(4) Sentō (銭湯) is a type of Japanese communal bath house where customers pay for entrance. Unlike Onsen (温泉), whose water arises from geothermic springs, the water in Sento are heated artificially either by wood or coal.


	33. Chapter 33

**CHIHIRO**

Chihiro slipped in the shower as a scream boomed from downstairs.

Oh, there was no mistaking that scream.

She slipped again as something shattered distantly, catching the shower curtain and half ripping it off the rod to keep from falling. Shampoo got in her eyes and mouth, stinging terribly as water sprayed out of the tub and all over the bathroom. Fumbling to shut it off she yanked a towel from the bar hastily wrapping it around herself and bursting out of the bathroom only to realize it was far too small. Coming up short Chihiro found Kou was pressed against the inside wall of her room looking more than a little terrified as he peered out the doorway. He spun to face her as she paused outside the bathroom fighting to keep on her towel and half blinded by soap.

"Michio is home."

As he pointed at the hall more furious screaming reverberated from below.

" _I'm so calling the FUCKIN' cops, do you hear me, SHITHEAD!?"_

"Sorry!" Chihiro blurted in mortification, "I'm so sorry! Stay here, okay?"

Sprinting by still struggling with her towel, Chihiro skidded to a stop at the top of the stairs. Michio was standing at the bottom brandishing two knives and wearing an absolutely demonic expression. Dressed in her usual stripy tights and a fluffy purple tutu Michio looked like something out of a bad horror movie. Chihiro stamped her foot in exasperation, which was a bad idea because it compromised her towel.

" _Goddamnit, Michi!_ Put the knives down!"

"But there was a guy!" The goth pointed with one of the blades as she searched the front room, "He was doin' _dishes!_ What kinda fuckin' burglar says good morning an' does dishes!?"

"Kou's not a burglar!"

Michio rounded on her with a fierce scowl, "Who t'fuck's Kou!?"

"He's my… my, uh… friend."

Chihiro half shouted back only to finish lamely as her face lit up with embarrassment. Michio whirled on her suddenly gaping incredulously.

"You brought a guy home!? About fuckin' time! And here I thought your knees were locked together!"

Oh, God! Could this get any worse!? Kou was listening to all of this! Now that her face was absolutely incandescent Chihiro stormed downstairs with every intention of quietly bitching out her friend only to come up short on the landing. It took her a second to see the bruises. At first it looked like some kind of extreme eye shadow. Michio, however, wasn't wearing make-up. Chihiro almost dropped her towel as shock hit her full force extinguishing all her anger.

" _Your face!"_ She breathed in consternation.

"Oh, you finally noticed?!" Michio bit back morosely.

"W-what happened!?"

"A parting gift from my new ex," Michio continued with scathing sarcasm, "Mind if I move back in?"

Chihiro finally noticed the marks on Michio's throat.

"Oh-my-God! _Oh-my-God!"_

Not thinking she reached out to touch them only to have her friend jerk away.

"It's not the end of the world, okay?!"

Abruptly Michio's eyes shot to the stairs and hastily she tossed the knives at the couch. They clattered loudly as Kou appeared at the top of the steps carrying a bathrobe. Chihiro's heart sank as she saw he'd gotten dressed; although given present company he didn't look that out of place in the filmy black robe. As he flowed down onto the landing she gaped. It was kinda hard not to. Chihiro was so caught up it took her a second to notice Michio was staring at Kou with a similar a wide-eyed expression. Avoiding looking at either of them, Kou politely held open the robe for her.

"T-thanks!" Chihiro blurted hastily.

God, he was such a sweetheart! He was so getting put through the wringer this morning! Hastily Chihiro tied the robe around her waist, which liberated the too small towel to restrain her soapy hair. Finally slightly decent, she awkwardly began introductions.

"Kou, this is my best friend Michio."

Chihiro didn't miss the guarded glance he flashed over Michio's face as he bowed elegantly. He did not say anything about the bruises and Chihiro loved him all the more for his quiet tact.

"I am pleased to meet you, Michio-san."

By way of a reply the Goth snorted rudely and absently waved at the kitchen.

"I wouldn't be glad to meet me after all _that_. Sorry about t'shouting, m'not used t'Chihiro bringing home strange guys."

Chihiro cringed. Oh, this morning was getting better and better!

"There is no need to apologize," Kou smiled dryly, "I work in a kitchen. I am accustomed to screaming and being chased with knives."

Chihiro blinked. Was that a joke? If it was it left Michio utterly without lippy retort. Chihiro almost laughed outright as her friend glared at her shrewishly. Unfortunately Michio wasn't done yet and she was full on scowling at Kou as if trying to remember something

"Okay, this is totally weird… I swear I've seen you somewhere before."

Kou flinched but kept his neutral expression.

"I do not believe so."

Chihiro frowned. What was that all about?

"Right," Michio wasn't entirely convinced although she moved on while still rudely staring him up and down, "So, I gotta ask; what's with the outfit?"

Suddenly Kou laughed with good humor, once again giving Michi pause.

"I attended Chihiro's book signing last night. Friends accompanied and we went in costume. Perhaps you will find me more familiar now?"

Ducking his head into something produced furtively from his pocket, Kou pulled on the hood and straightened, reminding Chihiro just how tall he was. It was an eerily quick transformation. Suddenly Kou was gone and a ghost stood in his place. He almost seemed to float as he approached offering out his gloved hands, producing a palm full off jingling change from thin air. Michio jolted, taking a step away as if genuinely afraid of the vacant eyes and faintly smiling ivory mask.

"Okay, I get it. You're Kaonashi."

"Ah. Ah."

Not breaking character, Kou nodded twice just like ghost might have.

"Where'd you dig this guy up, Chihi-chan? The circus? Seriously, you're super weird, Kou. I guess I'll see you later. Bye."

Michio laughed more than nervously, waving him off. With that she retreated upstairs much to Chihiro's relief. Chihiro waited until her friend's door shut loudly before wilting in apology.

" _I am so sorry!_ I'd say she's normally not like this but she really is all the time."

Taking off his mask Kou shook the hood free, making a mess of his hair.

"There is no need to apologize," Kou returned gently, not insulted in the slightest, "Michio is correct. I am strange."

Chihiro gaped at him for a moment before sighing gustily.

"Michio's great but she can be a bit _much_. I'm glad you're not upset. "

"Not at all," Kou smiled distantly as if remembering something, "She is nothing compared to my family."

It took every bit of self control not to tell him how much she was beginning to want to meet his family. He talked about them so much and they sounded so great. But it was still a little early for that. Chihiro surface from her thoughts as Kou glanced at the stairs with obvious concern.

"As much as I want to keep you this day I fear Michio needs you more than I."

Chihiro sighed in frustration. At once she felt super guilty, because Kou was right. Michio very much needed her tonight and very, very reluctantly she let him go. Feeling like a goof she followed behind him as he went to the entryway and put on his coat and shoes. Again she was staring. He made the act of tying shoes so very… pretty. Chihiro fidgeted as he straightened, suddenly unsure.

"So… Can I call you later? Maybe we can do something tomorrow?"

He hesitated, obviously embarrassed by his admission.

"Chihiro, I… I do not have a telephone."

She blinked and blinked some more as it suddenly sank in just how poor he was. His clothes made that more than obvious. But, wow… No phone? Suddenly she was putting on a show for his sake, being so overly cheerful she was sick to her stomach with embarrassment as she began to ramble.

"Oh, that's totally okay. You're lucky, actually. I hate being chained to my phone. People call you all the time and it super boring and tedious. N-not that'd it be boring if you called me."

Luckily Kou saved her from herself, silencing her with his shy smile.

"Nothing would please me more than to see you tomorrow. Perhaps you might call Shouta with plans? I know he would be glad to see you as well and I am sure he will relay any message you might have."

"Yeah, that'd be great! Um, here," fishing in her purse she pulled out her card and put it in his hand, "Just in case, okay?"

"Thank you, Chihiro," he pocketed it with care.

At once her insides spun giddily as he collected her against him even though she was more than damp. Kou didn't seem to care. Slowly he leaned towards her all the while watching her beneath the inky fringe of his hair with shy jade eyes. He didn't have as far to go as she was standing atop the entryway step. All the same Chihiro stood on her tip-toes as she lifted her face eagerly to meet him. A shock went from her toes to her ears as his arms tightened around her waist making her mind raced in looping circles as he bent her backwards ever so slightly because he was so gosh darn tall!

Wow, wow, _wow!_ His lips were soft; girl soft. He kissed her with unhurried tenderness as if the moment could stretch on into forever. She half hoped it would cause no one in her life had ever kissed her like _this_! Submerge in his uncanny smell, captivated by the warm smell of rain pouring out of him her legs trembled to the point of buckling. Finally he broke free breathing heavily as he held her close. She could feel him shaking and was glad to know she wasn't the only one weak in the knees. Then he murmured a strange hoarse good bye.

"We part only to meet again, Chihiro."

Turning for the door he left without looking back, leaving a blast of frigid air in his wake. Standing forlornly on the top step Chihiro could only stare at the door as if it was inconceivable that he was gone. Next time she wasn't sure she could let him go.

Scratching her itching scalp she cringed. Beneath her towel the soap had dried into sharp peeks. Back up into her bathroom she mopped up and fixed the shower rod before finishing her shower. Chihiro emerged in a cloud of steam only to find Michio lounging on the foot of her bed wearing _Invader Zim_ pajamas.

Michi'd pulled the unruly mess of her hair back into a pony tail making the bruises on her face and neck all that much more visible. Chihiro glanced aside to keep from staring. But for some strange reason Michio was grinning as if she could barely contain herself; pointedly looking at something on the ground. On the floor between them looking like it'd almost been put there on purpose was the condom wrapper from last night. Chihiro probably set a world record for how long it took her to snatch it up and squirrel it away into the bathroom trash. She was grinning even wider as Chihiro emerged from the bathroom with scorching cheeks.

"M'glad you fucked 'im," Michi began nonchalantly, "You need t'get that outta your system."

Close to spontaneously self combusting from embarrassment Chihiro retreated to the closet more to escape Michio than to find something to wear.

"Sex isn't some dirty secret, you know," Michi called after her lightly, "It's healthy, natural, and there's no reason to be ashamed of it."

"I know that!" Chihiro called back hotly, "But do you have t'be so… so _blunt_?!"

Michio laughed as Chihiro yanked on jeans and a soft gray sweater. The moment she came out of the closet her friend laid right back into her.

"He's totally hot, I'll give you that much, but he's totally weird!

Chihiro came to stillness, so stunned her mouth fell open and her first thought came spilling right out.

"This from the girl in the purple tutu!"

"Hey, that's in style! And I'm serious, okay? He totally gives me the creeps."

"You just met him, Michi! How can you not like him already?"

"Didja notice the whole time we were talking he wouldn't look at me."

Chihiro fought to be calm as she circled a finger in front of her face.

"Michi, did you consider maybe he didn't want you think he was staring?"

"That's got nothin' t'do with it!" Michi's snapped hotly as she hit the bed with her fists, "Look, I _know_ I've seen him somewhere before and he knows it! Did you see the way he flinched when I called him on it? What was all of that about, huh? How long have you known this guy anyway? Where's he from, anyway?"

Chihiro flinched from the answers to each of those questions. Okay, so she'd known Kou for almost three days. She was not about to tell Michio that. On-the-cliffs-by-the-sea wasn't really a home address either. Faced by just how little she knew about Kou Chihiro abruptly changed the subject because she was falling for him hard and fast.

"Look, I know Kou's weird. That's why I like him, okay?"

"You more than _like_ him," Michio interrupted sullenly and being a total brat about it too, "You're totally rebounding."

"I am not rebounding!" Chihiro returned furiously.

" _Tch!"_ Michio threw back callously, "You just fucked t'first guy that fell into your lap like Hidé never existed! I call that rebounding."

That was a name she didn't want to hear. Not now and probably never again. Suddenly Chihiro found herself shouting explosively.

" _Shut up! Just shut up!"_

She took a startled step back into silence, staring at her friend blankly. Michio blinked, obviously just as surprised by her outburst and for a second she looked brittle, almost close to tears. Stymied by the chilly guilt suddenly running like ice through her veins Chihiro began pacing at the foot of the bed. This was just like Michio. She'd pick a fight to hide she was upset or hurting. Michio was both of those things right now. To make matters worse Michio'd just found out Chihiro's whole world no longer revolved around her. She'd come home thinking she could step right back into her center of attention only to find that place was gone. No wonder she was threatened by Kou.

None of this, however, changed the fact that _Michi was such a pain in the ass!_ Half of Chihiro wanted to tell her so. That half wanted to yell and scream and throw Tetris blocks again. But the other half very much did not want to yell because it knew better. So Chihiro began again more than gently.

"Michi, you just got home. You've been gone for a _week_. I've been so worried about you! You ignore me then you come back like _this_ and the first thing you want t'do is fight about a guy you don't even know."

Chihiro surfaced from her hands only to stare at the rafters.

"Look, a while back my mom came at me with a list of reasons a mile long when it came to you. She thought you were irredeemably weird. I told her I like you because you're weird and guess what? You proved her wrong so give Kou a chance? Please?"

Chihiro looked up at her best friend only to find her glaring at the opposite wall and totally pouting. Something she must've said apparently hit home.

"Okay, fine. Whatever."

That was good enough for now. Taking a deep breath Chihiro launched into something else entirely. She found herself shaking ever so slightly as the angry came on her on out of nowhere. Chihiro didn't believe in hate, but she considered it briefly for the guy who did this to Michio. For a moment she was quite sure could've breathed fire.

"Did you go to the Police?"

Seizing a pillow Michio threw it at her. Chihiro'd been expecting that and ducked. It hit the wall behind her with a fluffy thwack. At least it wasn't a Tetris block.

"Look, I don't wanna talk about _that_ either, okay!? Rick's not the kinda guy you call the cops on anyway."

Chihiro's insides went absolutely cold.

"W-what the _hell_ , Michio!? What kinda guy were you going with!?"

"Don't look at me like that," Michio snorted, "He's not Yakuza or anything, just some small time gangster who hung at the same clubs I did. He was a mistake, okay?! It's done and he's not worth anymore of my time, got it?"

Chihiro stood there helplessly not sure what to do next.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm home, aren't I?!"

Michio looked away abruptly, blinking rapidly as her nose went red. She sniffed and slapped at something on her cheek only to wince. Chihiro came over to sit beside her, pulling her into a hug. For once her friend accepted it silently.

* * *

 **HAKU**

Like a shadow the lie followed Haku all the way to Ueno.

He barely saw the subway or the icy streets for how it plagued him.

It hung around his neck like a stone, dragging him down.

He lied to Michio; lied and said they had never met before.

In truth they had and more than once.

The first time was on the hill below Chihiro's house. Michio caught a glimpse of him in the trees as he watched from afar. The second time Michio had all but chased him from Chihiro's room as he visited her in a dream the day they left for Tokyo. What could he have done but lied? It was impossible for him to tell the truth and, oh, how that hurt him. To make matters worse she saw the lie for what it was. He would have to be very careful around Michio. She saw far too much.

With a heavy sigh he lifted his face and found it to be a beautiful day. With every step his heart lifted as the lie grew father and farther away. Though it was terribly cold sun poured from above, glittering off the icy arching tree branches hanging over the path as he walked from the station into Ueno Park. The clickity rush of trains and roar of cars faded as he forged further into the park. Children laughed as he passed a fenced yard set aside for play. Younglings romped and chased as their mothers watched all the while chatting amongst themselves. People of all ages passed him with short bows which he hastily returned with many a backward glance, surprised at how grateful he was to be noticed and greeted.

Haku watched the humans bustle around him and reveled in their simplicity. Work for money. Buy food and shelter. Love and produce children. Live and rejoice. Was it so terrible to desire this mortal life? Was it unthinkable to wish for a world uncomplicated by monsters?

Haku paused at the foot of the icy bank in front of the restaurant frowning at the gathering leaves before lifting his eyes to the plate glass window of the dance studio. The curtains were open and the lights on. A terribly young human girl in a pink dress was at the window, absently watching the sky with her chin cupped in her hand as if bored. She blinked, peering down at him before waving with a solemn frown. Frowning with equal gravity he waved back. Then the little girl put her hands over her head and twirled in an awkward circle, performing for him. How could he not return the gesture?

Furtively stepping to the side and making a great show of it, he produced one of Okesa's fans as if by magic, holding it up as it flicked open as if of its own accord, flashing gold and red in the sunlight. Bells rang though the girl could not hear them. Perhaps she could because her mouth fell open in awe as she pressed closer to the glass. It fogged with her rapt attention as he stood straight only to sink into liquid grace. Spinning the fan on his finger, he spun on his foot in the opposite direction, coming full circle before back flipping on one hand only to spring back to his feet, striking a pose with the fan still spinning.

At once the girl was jumping up and down and clapping ecstatically. He bowed to her only to have the girl beckon over her shoulder. Haku blinked as a crowd of human younglings in all shapes and sizes come to fog and smudge the window with their tiny hands. All wore the same pink dress and stared at him curiously with their wide dark eyes. They jolted as he produced his second fan from thin air, winking them back and forth, red, gold, silver, red.

As he spun again, becoming a pinwheel of colors Haku fought to keep his face solemn and straight even though his eyes were smiling, threatening to close on him as such mirth seized him. Chasing a wind, Haku kicked his leg high only to spin and sit to one knee. He brought the fans in a wide arc over his head, bending backwards only to pivot and spring. At once he was airborne, floating and turning like a bit of dandelion fluff as at once he returned to the ground with his fans crossed in front of his chest.

It was only as the score of little girls cheered silently, clapping soundlessly behind the glass, that Haku realized Origa was standing behind them. Her brown eyes were mild as she peered down at him over her crossed arms. Only then did he understand he had interrupted a class. He shrank with an apologetic bow as she cocked an eyebrow at him inquiringly, beckoning him upstairs. Haku shrank even further shaking his head until unknowingly he had retreated off the walk into the shrubs of the garden. Origa's lips quirked as she nodded then ushered away her reluctant students.

One remained for a moment, the girl who had first waved at him. She smiled now, revealing she was missing her two front teeth as she waved goodbye. He waved back before continuing around the side of the building, pausing for a moment to pick a tiny yellow flower from the back courtyard. Perhaps a gift would make Chouchin less angry? Did lanterns desire such things? He had not the slightest clue; but still, it made him happy all the same.

Haku flew up the steps into his apartment only to skid to stillness on the threshold.

It was empty; dark, and bitter, bitter cold.

"Chouchin?"

Haku called to the tiny room as his breath plumed before him. Tossing the flower he rushed to open the bathroom door, which was folly because she would abhor wet and cold. Next he threw open the closet door, which was just as ridiculous. She was far too big to fit inside. Looking out the window he found it the height of day. Gods were weakest at this hour so there was little chance that she would be outside. Where had she gone? Down to the stairs into the courtyard Haku searched the eves all the while calling for the lantern.

"Chouchin? Chouchin, where are you?"

He took out his compass with every intention of going to find her until Kubi spoke from behind him.

"Don't bother."

Haku nearly jumped out of his skin, spinning to find the half God sitting on the bottom step of the stairs leading to his apartment. Barefoot and wearing her green kimono as if she could not be bothered to hide what she was, Kubi bent over her knees. Broodingly she stared with frozen eyes at the yellow flower he had picked for Chouchin, slowly spinning it in her fingers. Somewhere overhead a cloud passed over the sun plunging the courtyard into shadow. Unnerved, it took Haku a moment to find his voice.

"Have you seen Chouchin-san?"

Kubi's lips drew into a grim line as she crushed the flower between her fingers.

"That was not for you!" Haku started up angrily, "What right have you to…!"

Kubi tossed the broken flower onto the stones, silencing him with her news.

"The spiders got Chouchin last night when I was in Shinjuku. Karasu said he saw her light go out. He was too much of a coward to tell you himself."

Kubi's words were a blow that knocked him to the ground. Haku was not sure how he came to the back step of the kitchen but he found himself sitting there staring blankly at the stones.

"Why did she not stay inside?" He demanded in the barest whispers.

"What do you care?" Kubi muttered heartlessly, "I thought you wanted to be human?"

"I…" Haku could not finish for he knew not what to say.

Kubi glared at him as she stood, piercing him with the cold blades of her eyes.

"There're no halves, Nigihayami. You're either kami or you're human: you can't be both. Believe me. I know. You've probably figured out that it's a very bad time to be God. If you keep riding the fence you're destined for suffering."

"I do not care what I am," Haku whispered desolately as he sank his head into his hand, "I only want to be with her."

"Regardless of what she was before right now she's _very_ human, Nigihayami. If you want to be with her you're gonna have to close your eyes."

Haku recoiled in horror from the thought of never seeing Lin, Cinna, or any of his family ever again! He could not imagine such a world without Gods or magic! He could not even fathom how he could live in such a place!

"That is impossible!"

"Then you've got a problem, don't you?" Kubi concluded frostily, "Like I said; if you keep fence sitting it won't be long till all our problems spill over into her world. Do you really want to bring that on her?"

Again without knowing how Haku found himself bowing at Kubi's feet. Oh, how he was ashamed of himself for thinking only of what he wanted when a friend had been stolen away! How he was ashamed of himself for speaking so callously to Kubi last night only now to appeal for the help he had refused. Pride had found him again and he remembered its cruel lessons as he pressed his forehead to the cold flagstones.

"Please! You said last night that you could help her!"

The cloud from earlier passed, suddenly flooding blinding light into the silent courtyard. Kubi seemed genuinely surprised by his sudden humility. When she answered her voice was frayed with angry emotions not entirely directed at him. Bafflingly Kubi's anger was directed entirely at herself.

"You don't want my help. I should never have offered it."

He hardly heard what she said because she was stepping over him so quickly Haku barely caught hold of her sleeve as she passed. In a panic he pulled her to a stop, at once begging like the lowly creature he had become.

" _Please!_ If it means she will wake and we may go home I will do anything!"

"Anything?" Kubi hushed ominously, "Even if it means ending an innocent life?"

Abruptly he dropped her sleeve, recoiling as she straightened over him, pinning him in place with her terrible eyes. Once again another cloud robbed the world of light, throwing her face into shadow as she crouched in front of him as she had back in the cavern beneath their feet, drawing so near he could smell her wood smoke breath and feel its frosty touch.

"You're right, Nigihayami, to be grateful for what you already have."

Then she was gone.

With shaking hands and knees Haku turned to climb the stairs into the echoing emptiness that filled the cavernously dark apartment. He stared at the bald bulb hanging from a cord on the middle of the room sick to the marrow of his bones with grief. Though the dark pained him he could not bring himself to turn on the light. Too stricken and exhausted to do anything more, he threw himself onto the bed and passed out.

* * *

 **LIN**

Still half asleep Lin peeled open an eye to glare at the light filtering through the oiled paper sliders at the foot of her bed. It was slanting the wrong direction, which meant it was extremely late instead of early, probably closer to sunset instead of sunrise. Any other day she would have thrown herself out of bed mortified by her laziness. Instead she left the bath house kami to fend for themselves and pulled the quilt over their heads.

Suzume sighed in the den she'd made for them beneath the blanket. Turning over with some difficulty Lin pillowed her head on his arm as he absently began picking at the tangles in her hair. Strands caught on his rough charcoal scented hands and he only succeeded in making more. Lin didn't mind in the slightest not even as they pulled enough to make her wince.

Fully awake now, she stared at her mate's face through the indigo twilight that filtered through the quilt. Her nose was inches from his and his breath stirred against her cheeks as it came slow and easy in sleep. Her heart wrenched in her chest as she studied him. Even when he was angry Suzume was handsome. How he frustrated her with his secrets and insecurities. But now the rare moment of peace transformed him, bringing an uncommon lightness to his face. She barely recognized him. Then again, she was only just beginning to know this side of her mate.

How she loved this fragile, lonely God who hid himself in anger. She had no idea what to do with him! He was such a stranger for all he'd showed her of himself. All she could do was inch closer, wiggling. His perpetual scowl was missing. It left his brows unknotted and smooth. The usually grim line of his lips had relaxed into a soft bow barely parted. They begged to be kissed. Before she could do just that Suzume sighed again. Lin fell still as his free hand left her hair to brush her face. Then it strayed between them. Gently he smoothed his palm over her distended belly and even though he was still asleep Suzume smiled as he had never before. Out of him poured such intensely sincere affection. He looked so happy, happier than she'd seen him in a long time.

Why then was she so very afraid?

Lin's insides squeezed with vicious pain as with careful tenderness Suzume's arms drew around her, pulling her close until her stomach was pressed tight between them, nearly forcing them apart. With her only arm she clung to him beneath the quilt as it seemed to grow unbearably heavy, nearly crushing her with the weight of everything that waited from them beyond the protection of its warmth. She tried to ignore the tightening twinge in her throat until swallowing became impossible. In the end she betrayed herself as a hot wet tear slipped free, rolling down her cheek and soaking into his sleeve before she could dash it aside.

Lin cringed as Suzume went still.

"Beloved? Are you weeping?"

He sounded so very shocked. Lin hated herself for robbing them of this moment; hated herself for being so very weak. She couldn't lie to him so instead she hid her face I his kimono even as he pulled back to look at her.

"Please, Hayashimi. Do not run from me."

No, there was no way she could. Not anymore. And there was no keeping anything from him now, not when he hushed in that gentle golden tenor of his. He could drag secrets from stones with that voice. Lin drew in a ragged shuddering breath then whispered the truth into his shoulder.

"I'm scared."

Folding back the quilt Suzume settled his back onto the futon as if weighed by her words. Suddenly exposed to the cold air Lin hid her face in the crook of his arm, burrowing into the heavy fabric of his kimono. As she breathed in the sharp smell of camphor the riot of terror that had so suddenly welled in her chest slowly began to subside. After a long moment of difficult silence Suzume kissed the crown of her head, pillowing his cheek there for a moment before ever so gently tipping up her chin, urging her to look at him. Gritting her teeth Lin could only comply, peering up into his troubled golden eyes. Worry made them mirrors that reflected back her pale pinched face.

"What is it that frightens you, beloved?"

She looked away and swallowed with difficulty, fighting silly sobbing hysterics. Instead she sighed in self-exasperation and laid her head on his shoulder, sliding her hand inside the fold of his kimono so she could curl her fingers against his bare skin.

"So many things. Too many to where I don't even know where to start."

Lin slowly melted as Suzume gently stroked the scar on her temple, following it across her cheek and neck as once again he turned his face into the top of her head. His words were heavy with quiet affection. They tickled the part of her hair as he saw through her silence to what was on her mind.

"You worry much for us, Hayashimi. Too much perhaps."

Lin snorted, "I don't know anyone like that."

"I know not of what you speak," Suzume sniffed loftily.

Fighting a smirk she tightened her only hand on the front of his kimono as some more truth slipped between her lips leaving her with the same bafflingly anxious chill of fear that had struck her earlier.

"You're everything to me; you, the children, and the rest of our family. Of course I'm going to worry too much about you. I've never in my life had so much. I… I don't know what I'd do without you."

Suzume surprised her with the swiftness of his embrace. At once he was sitting up holding her tightly in the bower of his arms, wrapping her in the yielding warmth of his body until she could have slipped inside his soul as she had many times before. It was such a marvelous thing to feel so very safe.

"Nothing can come between us, beloved." Suzume pronounced with all his intense solemnity, "Know this with the same certainty that you know my love."

Stupid, stupid fox! At this rate he was going to make her cry again! Instead the sweet soft line of his lips came for hers, making her forget everything but him until there was a knock at the door. Well, more of a light scratch really. It was a wonder she heard it at all. But they were Gods after all and they heard it all the same.

"Uh, Lin?" Kiri whispered from the other side, "Lin, you awake?"

Lin and Suzume broke apart to stare at the door incredulously.

Kiri!? What was Kiri doing here!? It was impossible not to remember what had happened last night. But as she tried to stand Suzume anchored her in his arms making it clear she wasn't going anywhere. Holding her closely the fox was more than annoyed as he answered the human sharply.

"Lin is indisposed, Ikiri. Leave."

There was a long startled silence. When she spoke again Kiri was stumbling over herself, stuttering just like Yoshi.

"S-sorry! I… I didn' know y-you were there Suzume-sama! Uh, a-actually I was l-looking for you. Um, c-can I talk t'you for a minute?"

The fox growled in his throat as if preparing to bark. Then he paused and frowned before let out another gusty sigh. Then he replied in a far less frosty tone.

"I am listening, child."

Lin blinked, finding herself stunned.

Patience from Suzume?! That bordered on a miracle.

"Uh…" Kiri began uselessly, "My, uh, _idiot_ brother's kinda havin' ah nervous breakdown."

Lin's lips drew into a grim line. Keiichi had seen her clearly last night. What's worse, he'd recognized her. It wasn't the first time he'd caught a glimpse of her God form. This time it was Lin's turn to sigh gustily.

"I'll go." Lin muttered, "It's my fault anyway."

At once Suzume was standing over her dressed in a thick kimono of subtle snowy grays quilted in blues looking like patches of sky peering through the clouds. Beneath the impossibly long inky fall of his hair the fox's solemn golden eyes were troubled as he took her arm and gently hoisted her upright.

"There is no blame in this, beloved. We both shall go."

As Lin belted her indigo kimono closed she frowned at him as he held open her haori coat. The fox, however, avoided her gaze. Something was going on in his gold eyes; she could see it even if she didn't understand it. Lin opened her mouth but closed it in the same breath. Six months ago she wouldn't have hesitated to needle him with questions. But she was learning. They both were. As frustrating as it was to wait she had to trust Suzume's silence. If she needed to know whatever was on his mind he'd tell her soon enough.

Kiri jumped and shrank from the door as it snicked open at a flick of the fox's hand. Much to Lin's surprise the human was carefully dressed in her temple garb: white kimono, red hakama, and tabi socks. Kiri's hair was getting long again and strands of gray sprang out in her pony tail as if startled on end. At once the girl sank to her knees at the fox's feet, offering up a branch of waxy leaves festooned with carefully folded garlands of white paper. Her mismatched eyes were perfectly round as they stared at the floor and her hands shook visibly.

"T-thank you for hearin' me, S-Suzume-sama. I-I offer you humble t-thanks."

As if struck to stillness by her careful formality Suzume fell perfectly still, staring with mouth agape as if forgetting whatever frosty words he'd been about to loose on the human. Shifting his gaze Suzume stared at the girl's stomach. It was more than bulging now and impossible to ignore. As he did the fox softened which was a good thing because Kiri looked ready to rattle to pieces.

"What of Keiichi?" Suzume began quietly, "You say he is unwell?"

Kiri flinched from his attention, bowing until her nose was pressed to the floor.

"Yeah, he's totally flippin' out!"

"Child," Suzume growled impatiently, "You make no sense."

Lin quickly slipped in on Kiri's behalf as the girl went blank with terror.

"Can you be more specific, Kiri."

"Oh… Uh… H-he won't stop chantin' not even for Nani an' it's seriously freakin' us out. I mean, he's always been into his duties but I've never seen him so… so _frantic!_ Grandad's off on one of his fuzzy spells an' I didn't know what else t'do but come here. I was hopin' you could come talk t'him since he listens t'you?"

By the end of this Kiri had worked herself up into a worried mess she was close to wringing to shreds the offering she'd brought for Suzume. Glancing at the fox Lin found his face dark as the grays that soaked through the cloudy shoulders of his kimono.

"Where is he?" Suzume inquired with quiet intensity.

Kiri pointed as if it helped, still avoiding looking at the fox.

"Holed up in t'main temple. He's been since he woke me up last night…"

Suddenly Kiri trailed off as she went pale with a premonition that rose to hang over her head like the moon. Understanding finally seemed to dawn on her as the human lifted her miss-matched eyes to appeal to the fox.

"S-somethin' got t'Keii last night, d-didn't it?"

As if unnerved by her attention Suzume looked away. Lin wasn't sure she could meet the girl's gaze either. The fox couldn't lie but he could leave out all the details he wanted. Crossing his arms huffily he loosed another gusty sigh as the impending storm on his kimono brooded darker and darker.

"Yes."

Kiri was shaking visibly now and it took every shred of Lin's self control not to yank the girl off the ground and hug her into stillness. Just looking at her put Lin's teeth on edge!

"W-what happened?" Kiri pressed in a whisper.

Brushing by, Suzume headed for the stairs as if running helped. All the same his answer floated back to them even though it wasn't much of an answer.

"Your brother saw the unseeable, Ikiri. His eyes are now open."


	34. Chapter 34

**LIN**

Lin shifted from foot to foot as the weight of her belly all but flattened her arches. The moment she stood to chase after Suzume the kits came awake. Gods, they were hell bent of kicking their way out of her stomach! Wincing periodically and suddenly more than peevish, she waddled down the back stairs bracing her hand in the small of her back.

"A-are you okay?" Kiri hushed as she followed close as a shadow.

"I'm fine," Lin grumbled.

Onsen collected over her head and at once she was waving off the anxious mothy cloud of the house's concern.

"I said I'm fine!"

Storming off the bottom step, Lin came up short as she came upon Suzume. He was standing poised over the heart of the house bathed in a pool of waning light. Sunset lit him up in oranges and gold as it seeped through the window over the sink. The new colors soaked into his once snowy robes making him look far less dour. A draft breathed under the back door dousing her toes with the same biting cold. The snow had mostly melted during the day thanks to the bright sun. Unfortunately whatever was left had frozen into a solid sheet of ice on the roads between here and the village. Not that they needed to worry about that.

A red tile hung from a nail on the sliding door.

It clattered softly with every gust.

Suzume waved a hand at it dismissively and magic crackled through the room like an electric shock. Kiri squeaked like a mouse at the tile snapped to attention, bringing the door to stillness. The once bright paper in the slider went dark as it snicked open, allowing a cloud of incense to flood across from the other side. The moment it opened Kiri clasped her hands and bowed to the fox. Lin half expected the human to end up on the floor she bowed so low Lin envied her the flexibility.

"T-thank you, Suzume-sama," Kiri stumbled on the formal words as they flew out of her so fast, "Thank you, Lin-sama."

Suzume snorted, frowning as if not sure what to make of the human's prostration. With an exasperated sigh Lin tugged on Kiri's sleeve, trying not to bend.

"Girl, I scrub floors. Don't be so formal."

Kiri stood shakily.

"Granddad'd be so pissed if he found out I didn't show you proper respect."

Completely ignoring the human's change of character, Suzume flustered with his sleeve nervously peering at the temple beyond before impatiently waving at the portal.

"Go first, Ikiri. You are a maiden of this temple and we are strangers."

The human's good humor fell as she bowed again and hurried to comply. But as she took a step forward Kiri recoiled in jittery terror. Light from the humming bare bulb in kitchen struck her back sending a shadow spilling through the doorway. Not one shadow but two painted its way up the opposite wall. Darker and not at all belonging to Kiri, the second froze like a person caught in the headlights of a car. Then it winked out of sight through Kiri didn't so much as move. Every hair might have stood up on Kiri's head as she suddenly went rigid as a board. White as a sheet she ran through the archway, half tripping on her crisply pressed red pants as she disappeared around the corner.

Without a word or a backward glance Suzume held out his hand.

Lin took it just as silently.

As they crossed through a shiver of magic they exited a large closet into a hall that stretched off into darkness broken by, of all things, periodic pools of candle light. Lin skulked in Suzume's shadow as he paced ahead of her with slow regality. She was left with plenty of time to nosily peer and gawk at every nook and cranny. Lin had only seen the blue roofed exterior of the main shrine during the summer festival. Somehow it managed to be bigger on the inside. Ceilings lifted up into pitched black rafters. The thick beams supporting the veranda and porticos were made of entire tree trunks deeply and ornately carved. Every inch exuded the heavy stolid weight of age. Sumptuous green, blue, and white drapery turned gray in the gloom, hanging like cobwebs over their head.

The curtains and shutters did little to muffle the biting cold surging from every crevice. A draft ran around her ankles carrying with it the sharp smell of snow. Lin shivered as she studied the darkest corners and not because of the cold. This place was something else even by God standards. With each step Sengen Jinja's eeriness pour out of the walls and seeped through the floors until it was pooling in Lin's footfalls the same way seawater gathered in footprints along the wake line. The whole place was crawling with hordes of invisible eyes! It left her nervously glancing over her shoulder like she used to in the lower levels of Yubaba's Bathhouse.

As they rounded a corner they caught up with Kiri. Shuffling along at great speed as if chased the human darted ahead of them. At once Suzume paused, dropping her hand to furtively stall her. Kiri's shadow glided on the ground ahead of them so close Lin almost stepped on it. Skirting around it the fox flitted ahead. As he did Lin stared at her mate pointedly, trying to catch his eyes. What did the fox know that she didn't? But he ignored her, infuriating Lin to the point she almost broke the silence.

Light filled the hall ahead, dripping off the massive pair of chandeliers that drooped heavily as if beginning to melt beneath the heat of the nearly hundred candles. Beneath was a huge sliding door to what could only be the main shrine because the eeriness pitched into such fervency it became a physical hum. Sensing her unease the kits stilled in her stomach, probably lulled by the furious beating of her heart. Gritting her teeth to the point they creaked Lin clutched the front of her haori coat hand fighting the urge to run back the way they'd come. She shouldn't have come; shouldn't have risked her children.

Bleached of all color by the candlelight Kiri bowed wordlessly and knelt at the threshold of the heavy sliding door. As she did Suzume placed a hand on the human's head. Kiri was so startled by the contact she sat back on her heels looking up at him with perfectly round eyes. Considering her for a moment with a cryptic expression Suzume smoothed his hand over her brow as if trying to soothe the fear that stood out on her face in deeply etched lines. All this Lin watched knowing it for exactly what it was. This was the closest the fox would ever come to an apology.

They all jolted as the door to the main shrine whisked open as if moved by invisible hands. Ashamed of her cowardice, Lin seized Suzume's shoulder as he backed into her with his hands spread protectively. But there was nothing behind the door, only emptiness. The fox folded one of his arms around her, not at all exuding his usual confidence. He was just as tense as she was because the prickles of magic intensified, chewing on them with unnerving power.

With slow reverence Suzume stepped into the expansive tatami mat room. Following him closely, Lin watched in fascination as his kimono glowed with iridescence beneath the flickering lights. Hundreds of candles dripped and sagged in the sconces and chandeliers around the room filling the air with the bitter smell of paraffin and sweet cloying clouds of incense.

Lifting her eyes Lin saw that the ceiling was adorned by a massive painting of a five clawed dragon. Wrought in gold leaf and ink the beast writhed against the panels. It glared down with eyes that seemed to follow her among flashes of lightning that forked and shattered around its scaly body. Knowing the goddess' true form Lin forced herself to look away, peering instead at the immense altar that fitted against the far wall, divided and shuttered with ornately gilded and carved screens. That was a bad idea because the statue on the dais was so life-like Lin recoiled with a barely restrained hiss.

Wearing a sea-spray robe and with the fall of her hair plastered to her body as if wet, the likeness of O-Sengen-sama stood as if fashioned from the clouds that hung over the bay. In her hands was an all too familiar silver mirror; around the statue's neck was a gleaming jewel of blue, and at her waist was girded a long sword of strangely green metal. As she stared at the statue Lin's heart went cold for she had no desire to show the goddess any reverence. If anything Lin wanted to spit in her face! All the same she forced herself to bow to the likeness as Suzume bowed, although not nearly so low as he did. It was only as she straightened that Lin saw the shivering figure huddled in front of the sacred gate of the altar.

Keiichi was sprawled on the floor buried beneath the mound of his exquisite white, green and blue robes. The tails of his black lacquered hat quivered slightly as he spoke but he had gone so hoarse from chanting Lin couldn't hear him at all. His voice was a faint muddled hush like the rustling of leaves. The spent priest was too weak to lift the offering branch festooned with pretty stripes of paper he still held clutched in his hands. As she circled to his side Lin's chest tightened with such fear. The human' skin was gray with exhaustion, eyes closed and sunken, lips blue and parched. With none of his usual decorum Suzume knelt beside the human, gently placing a hand in the middle of the human's back as he leaned close, whispering in his ear.

"Keiichi? Do you hear me, Keiichi?"

Lin cringed at the sound. It was the first words they had spoken since arriving. The priest flinched at the contact, croaking like one of the frogmen.

"S-Suzume-sensei? Is t-that you?"

"Yes, Keiichi. You have done well, child. I am proud."

It was a rare thing to hear the fox speak so gently. Apparently she wasn't the only one who loved these stupid troublesome mortals.

"Come with me now, child. Come."

Suzume had the human by the shoulders and pulling persuasively.

"No…" Keiichi moaned, " _No!"_

With strength Lin didn't think the human had Keiichi tore away and threw himself at the gate, making it clatter loudly.

"I _failed,_ sensei!"

Suzume flinched at the word snatching back his hands as if he'd been bitten. All color fled him leaving the fox bleached with dismay as Keiichi continued in a shredded voice while bowing over the metal railing.

"I've always upheld t-tradition. I-I've always fulfilled my duties. B-but I didn't believe! Not until last night! I saw _them_ , Suzume-sensei! I saw _them_ and they were real! No wonder O-Sengen-sama has forsaken my family! I have insulted the holy deity I serve with my wretched blindness!"

Snatching up the offering branch Keiichi was back at his tremulous prayers. Hunched beneath the wrinkled mess of his robes the human looked like a wraith as he shook and sobbed. Over the past few days Lin had become very familiar with the face of death. It'd come to live in her house, waiting patiently in a room on the second floor. She saw it clearly when she looked at Keiichi and it sent cold clenching her heart. Ready to pluck the human from the floor and drag him from the shrine, she took a step only to find herself firmly rooted in place. Stunned by heaviness she appealed to her mate wordlessly only to find Suzume staring at the human as if at a loss.

"We cannot take him from this place against his will."

Lin tried to stamp her foot but found it frozen. Instead she settled for angry words.

"Do something… He's going to kill himself! "

Suzume's face tightened as he stared at her helplessly.

"You are right, beloved, but I have no power in this place."

They both looked up in surprise as Kiri darted in from the hall reaching for her brother. Abruptly Suzume threw out a quelling hand, bringing the human a standstill. Lin caught her, holding the human back as Suzume rose over Keiichi, turning to implore the statue on the dais.

"How can you remain deaf to such earnest prayer?"

Silence echoed in the dark broken only by Keiichi's quiet sobs.

"Then hear me, O-Sengen-sama," Suzume growled at the rafters as his eyes flickered with inner fire, "For I shall keep what you will not."

Taking a heavy step forward as if it took all his strength the fox grasped the back of the priest's robes as if ready to drag him from the room. The moment he did thunder cracked overhead. The entire building quaked beneath the boom. Dust and plaster rained from above. Kiri shrieked as Lin fell to her knees, sheltering the human as every sliding door ringing the inner shrine suddenly jerked open with such force they ripped from their tracks and cart wheeled into the adjacent walls.

In blew a fierce, ocean soaked wind. Every flame guttered and hissed as it circled, spraying them with hot tallow as the lights wiped out in great swaths. All that remained as the gale subsided were the candles clustered around the dais. These turned an eerie blue as they sputtered larger and brighter until they wafted like sprays of kelp. Kiri shrieked again as water effused from the mirror in the statue's hands, splashing to the floor only to pour up the walls at the back of the dais, running in tributaries along the rafters until stinging surf fell in crashing waves from a great pool circling the roof.

The roar was deafening. Choking on the flooding saltwater Lin waded through blistering cold geysers with Kiri firmly anchored in her arm. Soaked to the bone they made it to Suzume's side. The fox had dragged Keiichi away from the gate. They retreated to the shallows at the center of the room as waves crashed around them. The priest pointed, eyes were wide and riveted on the altar. The curtains of water abruptly parted, smashing against the adjacent walls to reveal the flash of the mirror in the hands of the living statue towering inside the golden gate. The Goddess' blue eyes burned with the same brightness inside the glowing jewel around her neck, making the sword at her waist glint dangerously.

 **"I hear quite well, fox. As for mercy, that remains to be seen."**

Lin froze beneath the crushing weight of the Goddess' voice. This was _not_ what she'd expected when Kiri asked them to talk to her brother! Suzume threw up his hands and at once kneeling and reaching as he had on the stones by the sea. Before he could beg forgiveness Sengen's voice boomed, all but drowning them in crashing waves.

" **Spare me your pleas. I do not come to punish."**

At once the temperature plunged as the waves knocked aside as if meeting some invisible breakwater. With a hiss Lin yanked back her only hand as Kiri's body burned with cold. With slow strangeness the temple maiden stood and wavered on her feet. Then she stamped her foot with such force the floor reverberated, knocking her to her knees as the water fled in an angry rush.

Lin caught Suzume round the middle as he recoiled from Kiri, leaving Keiichi beside his twin. Between them rose a perfect silhouette of black. The priest's teeth chattered with audible terror as he watched the shadow place a hand on Kiri's shoulder. She jolted at the contact. Keii jumped as well, shrinking from his sister as she blew out a fierce white plume of frozen breath. As it billowed spray turned to frost and surf showered them with a harmless powder of salted snow. When Kiri spoke it was in a voice that did not belong to her. It was frayed and distant as if it reached from another world entirely.

" _If not to punish why then do you come, O-Sengen-sama?"_

The invading tides stilled to a dead calm as the Goddess' burning eyes sharpened on the shadow.

" **So, spirit? Does my sister think so little of me that she must send her servants to look after mine?"**

Lin couldn't fathom how she could meet Sengen's gaze without fear or speak to the Goddess with such barely veiled contempt. But then again, Manami was already dead. Why should she be afraid?

" _I am only a messenger, O-Sengen-sama. My mistress sends me to remind you that this girl and her brother are just as much hers as they are yours."_

The goddess laughed bitterly. Her voice boomed in the tiny space rocking the tiny room to the point Lin was amazed the whole building didn't come crashing down! All the while she glowered with a face as harsh as the winter sea.

" **My sister and I have already quarreled on that matter. You are only mine if I accept you and** _ **I do not!"**_

Again thunder cracked overhead and the waves shattered, once again roving and churning beyond the fragile protective circle of Manami's ice. Sengen surged up into an uncanny fervor that made the building quake and shudder. Heaving up against the ceiling with her hair whipping in the chaotic tides the hem of her garment boiled like foam eddying around her feet. Lin wasn't proud of the fact that terror turned her stupid in that moment. All she could do was cling to Suzume as the fox held her. Then again, Sengen was an old; old enough to perhaps be from the first days when kami were still Gods among humans. They were supposed to be afraid of her.

Manami, however, didn't even flinch.

" _I ask again, O-Sengen-sama, why have you come?"_

" **It is in answer to his call that I have come."**

Sengen turned the full force of her attention onto the groveling priest making him crumble to the frosty ground.

" **Look at me, priest."**

Shaking from head to toe, Keiichi obeyed even though he was white as his robes. Tremulously he held up the offering branch. Even as he was drowning the human had refused to give it up. Lin couldn't help but frown at the silly soggy thing, half afraid it might offend. Then with a gasp of pain Keiichi recoiled from the blinding flash of the Goddess mirror. Suzume ripped from Lin's arm, grasping Keiichi's face to hurriedly inspect his eyes. Blinking rapidly the human shook his head in a daze. Clambering over Lin saw that the human's irises were no long brown. Behind the round frames of his skewed spectacles Keiichi's eyes were pale as the silver mirror he now held clutched in his hands. Again Sengen's voice boomed.

" **Your eyes are now mine. I see no hope in what is to come. I fear neither will you."**

 _"What of the children, O-Sengen-sama? They are of this house."_

Manami inquired, still standing over them unperturbed by the Goddess' changing mood. Sengen glared at the shadow as her waves rippled.

 **"You have already seen what I have seen. I deny them as I deny her, for they will be a way for evil like their mother."**

" _Will you do nothing then?!"_

Manami stamped her feet angrily, making the room shake in her desperation. Lin cringed, expecting fury to come raining down on them. But something other than contempt seemed to touch the Goddess in that moment. Bafflingly Sengen subsided.

" **No. I can do nothing and neither can you."**

Utterly baffled by their suddenly quiet exchange Lin stole a glance at the Goddess as her waves drew back around her. Lin knew an entirely different kind of terror in that moment as the very foundation of the world became unsettled by the goddess' despair. What was that in her eyes? Fear? How could Sengen be afraid?!

" **Our world has gone mad, spirit. What can we do but follow or fade?"**

Thunder rolled again overhead but distant now, because the goddess was gone.

So were the waves and the spray, leaving them in dry dark confusion.

But Sengen's ominous words echoed in the hall like the ghost of a behemoth brass bell.

* * *

 **HAKU**

Ripped from sleep Haku jolted upright.

The lock on his apartment door shrieked as it tore apart. The door flew in, slamming against the inside wall with such strength it jolted the entire room. Buzzing caustic light flooded his apartment as the bulb overhead flicked on. He sat bolt upright only to slam his head into the sharply sloped ceiling. Down he crumbled as the room sloshed in agony. The wind of his disquiet hit the room making the bare bulb swing as bite of magic breathed over the threshold, filling his room with eerie milling shadows.

Haku was left wondering if he was having a nightmare for a kami filled his doorway. Dressed in voluminous stripped trousers and lacquered armor torn, chipped, and pocked with battle scars, the God brandished an enormous naginata (1). Its flashing eyes matched the glint of the cruel and curved blade atop the thick staff, glaring like demon fire through the mournful white visage of its mask. This, however, was not the black faced guardian king of the north.

"Up here!" The God barked orders down the dark stair, "Hurry!"

Haku blinked and blinked again, because he knew this voice.

It took him a moment to recognize Kubi. There was no mistaking her icy gaze. He had been using his coat as a blanket and at once fumbled in the pockets. Jamming his face into his glasses Haku saw her clearly as the magic pierced Kubi's ruse. She was much smaller than at first glance, far less imposing. He could see the shake of her hands as she leaned her weapon against the wall, just as he could hear the shake in her voice and strove to hide fear with fierceness.

" _All of you get up here now!"_

Kubi barked again, pushing up her mask only to reveal she was genuinely afraid. But before he could demand to know what was amiss the stairwell echoed with the sounds of hurried steps. Caught up in curiosity he craned his neck to see as something hesitated just beyond the doorway.

"B-but t'light hurts, Miss Kubi!"

"Would you rather get eaten?!" Kubi barked back, "Now get inside!"

At once Gods poured around Kubi's legs.

Stunned, Haku could only stare.

All were children. All were unwhole in some way.

A rat girl darted inside shrinking from the light. Her long face was speckled with pockmarks as if she had been hit with burning embers. Pointed pink ears poked through her stringy black hair studded with piercings and her wrists clattered with a host of plastic bangles. She wore a battered red human coat long out of style and blue jeans so torn it was a wonder they did not disintegrate. Her bare feet and hands bore thick yellow claws both filthy and sharp.

In the rat girl's arms was a kitten. It had no tail. Only a short little nub protruded from a hole torn in the seat of his corduroy pants. The kitten was all but smothered in a blue marshmallow jacket patched in several places with strips of sticky plastic. One of his tiny pointed eats was cropped as if it had been cut. Both swiveled wildly before flattening as he returned Haku's scrutiny with cold fearlessness.

The boy-God's eerie orange eyes tightened into slits. His solemn face was decidedly un-childlike as his white fur stood on end. Haku blinked as the kitten growled fiercely, tightening sharp claws on the rat girl's shoulder before pointing at him almost accusingly. The girl-kami glanced back only to see him. She jolted in such surprise she almost dropped the kitten.

" _Kubi!"_ Rat girl shrilled as she backed towards the door, "Kubi, there's a human in here and he can see us!"

"Of course he can see us, Sumirei!" Kubi shot back in exasperation. "He's not a human, he's one of _us!_ "

Us? The word only served to confuse him more. Before he could speak Kubi spun on her heel and snarled through the door.

"Get in here, Gohan! Don't make me make you!"

"I don' wanna come up!" A sullen voice protested through a crack with fear, "This whole place stinks like _human!_ "

"That's exactly why I brought you here!"

"Can't I just hide at t'temple!?" The youngling wheedled.

"Temple's not safe! Nowhere's safe except here!"

Lunging into the shadows in from the hall Kubi caught and dragged inside a badger (2). He was about the same age as the rat. Like the others he wore human clothes long out of style. Askew on his head was a battered fedora torn with holes to accommodate the tufts of his ears. His suit, the same color as his brown fur, was threadbare to match the wrinkled tie that hung round his scrawny neck. Haku blinked as the badger came to stillness. Like the rat the boy-God gaped incredulously only to point at him with a thick claw.

"Who t'hell's that?"

"Shut your mouth and go find a place to hide!"

Kubi planted her foot on the boy's hind end and shoved, sending him lurching across the room. Catching the rat girl's arm, Badger dragged her to the closet. The door slammed firmly and black eyes peered at him through the slats adding. Haku retreated, sidling into the kitchen as he found himself at a loss. All this happened in a matter of seconds: Kubi's arrival and the invasion of his apartment by Gods. Finally Haku's voice caught up to him.

"Kubi…" He was forced to clear his throat, "What is the meaning of all this?"

She silenced him with a cut of her hand, "I'll explain later."

Yanking down her mask she made for the door. Kubi, however, never made it past the kitchen. Anger and insult made Haku swift. He caught Kubi by the arm; caught her off guard; and hauled her round before pinning her in the kitchen nook.

"Explain now," Haku commanded quietly.

Kubi's eyes ignited with fury as she shoved back.

"I don't have time for this, you idiot!"

She was much stronger than he. Such a blow would have sent him flying from his feet had he not been anticipating it. Lithely he gave way. Haku stepped round letting her momentum carry her to the floor. She was a rude cushion, swearing viciously and struggling as he anchored her to the linoleum with the full weight of his body. Her arms were trapped at her sides. She could afford no leverage with which to force him off, nor could she grab hold of him to drain him of strength.

"Explain," Haku repeated, "Else you and yours must leave."

At once her head flew from her shoulder, neck stretching long as it she swooped around to attack him. Haku barely had time to catch her head, wrestling to hold it still as the coils of her neck elongated to monstrous lengths. They lashed the walls and ceiling of the kitchen, knocking open cupboards and jolting out drawers as they smashed blindly. Still he held her but only just. Wrenching her head around Haku bore into her eyes with his unyielding gaze just as the loops of her neck coiled around him tightening to where he could barely breathe.

"Who was it that told me to close my eyes to kami?!" Haku choked grimly as she squeezed, "Who is it now that brings into my home that which I am not to see?!"

At once Kubi fell still. Haku dragged in a gasping breath as the loops of her neck loosened and slowly drew free. Behind the down-turned oculars of her mask he saw her brows drew together in the same conflicted scowl he had glimpsed of in the hall at Chihiro's book signing. It was then that Haku realized in spite of all her confident pronouncements Kubi was no surer of anything than he. She was just as lost, just as frightened. His suspicions were confirmed as she spoke in a hurried rush.

"I know what I said. But the humans that live here in the park are afraid of us. They know we're different they won't let us pretend to be homeless. They won't share their fires. We can't hide in any of the bigger buildings. There's too much electricity. Nothing's sacred anymore so temples or shrines aren't safe either. I… I didn't know where else to go!"

Gently Haku released her head as Kubi collected back down onto her shoulders until she looked deceptively human once more. He did not, however, get up just yet.

"What has happened?"

"Shitamachi's dogs are everywhere. The idiots must've stirred up the whole nest 'cause I've never seen so many spiders."

At once his heart was pumping a cold sweat across his body.

" _Spiders!?"_

Kubi nodded.

"The park's overrun. They're in frenzy, taking God and humans both. But we're safe here. Spiders can't see or smell anything in here. There's electricity here but the buildings old and stinks enough of human that we can stay."

Kubi slumped on the floor beneath him as if suddenly exhausted.

"I know we're uninvited, Nigihayami," Kubi breathed in a desperate voice, "But don't send the little ones out. They're all that's left of the Ue-no-kami. The Shita-no-kami won't let us come below. (3) We don't have anywhere else to go."

Haku was suddenly painfully aware of the weight of many eyes. At once on his feet Haku backed away as hot shame coiling in his chest. It tightened around his heart as if Kubi's neck was once again twined round his body. He was a traitor. There was no use lying; he had given up his God-self and betrayed his ties to the spirit world. That, however, did not mean he had abandoned his race. He would never do such a thing no matter what Kubi warned. True, it was a bad time to be a God, but all the more reason why it was impossible for him to close his eyes.

He was between worlds but stood with a foot in both.

He could cook, lie, and endure mortal elements like electricity and fire.

Never before had he considered how those things could be of use to kami.

Such a strange thought took him in that moment. Was this what Chihiro felt when he and the Bath house kami arrived on her doorstep homeless and destitute? They might not have invaded her home uninvited but they certainly had invaded her world. Suddenly he understood the baffling trepidation and the infuriating indecision she showed in the month after their arrival. Never before had he consider how completely they had changed her life. As a result they had taken much from her. Even though it would cost him how could he send these children into the dark? What could he do but let them in?

"Do not be afraid," Haku addressed the kami hiding in his apartment, "You are welcome here."

Haku caught Kubi by the arm as she gained her feet and made for the door. The God-woman's frosty eyes were more than confused as she resisted, pulling against his grip. Haku, however, remained firm.

"That includes you, Kubi-san."

Her face wiped as she fell to stillness. They both, however, shrank from the hall as clogs clacked loudly from below. The tiny one-eyed yokai clambered up onto the top step only to shout down the stairs in utter exasperation.

"Too slow!" Bozu hissed beneath his breath, struggling to straighten his conical hat, "Faster, stupid bird! _Faster!"_

"Bozu!" Kubi breathed in relief.

The little goblin jumped as if guilty of something only to run to her with open arms. Awkwardly Haku watched as Kubi swept the goblin up, hugging him as a mother might a small child. It was odd to see her show such affection. It made him terribly uncomfortable.

"Stupid bird is slow!" Bozu hushed disconsolately.

" _Ouch!"_ Karasu yelped distantly, " _Ouch, will yah stop bitin' me!?_ "

Bozu winced at the sound, "Stupid bird is also too loud."

"Gods, you stink!" Karasu was stomping up the stairs, "Kubi, what should I do with t'stupid kappa?! "

Bozu was back at the landing in a blink, _"Shhhhh! Too loud!"_

The goblin flattened himself against the wall as the crow rushed by holding a dripping yokai at arms length. The bird was muddy to his knees from wading to catch the creature. The thing was the size of a small child with rubbery wet blue-green skin blotched with dark camouflaging markings. He bore on his back and fat belly a shell like a turtle and an equally short sharp snapping beak. The depression atop its head was dry hence it hung limp in the bird's hands. All the same the yokai glared from beneath the messy thatch of its hair, biting at anything it neared. With malevolent glee it loosed a hideous bout of flatulence that plumed in a sour brown cloud. Haku gagged as the sulfurous reek burned his eyes! (4)

"Tsuke, you're such a _bastard!_ " Karasu gagged.

The kappa loosed a low nasal chuckle, grinning as if proud of his word.

"Put him in the bathroom!" Kubi ordered, pointing as she turned her face away.

Haku rushed ahead of the bird, opening the door. Karasu raced inside and unceremoniously dumped the kappa into the tub, wrenching the shower on coldest cold. Tsuke wailed and scrambled to turn the knob to a warmer setting as the crow fled past Haku to the window. Throwing it open Karasu clambered out onto the eave gulping in breaths of cold crisp air that only mostly purged the room of stink.

"Where is Grandpa Bean?!" Kubi demanded of the bird.

"Huh?"

Karasu poked his head back inside, knocking his bowler askew. His face drained of color as his sharp eyes darted round the room and found someone missing.

"H-he wasn't at pagoda… W-we thought he was with you."

Silence fell as slowly Kubi's turned hard as stone. She fished something wrapped in cloth from under her armor. This she shoved into Bozu's tiny three fingered hands. The goblin's single eye went huge as he clutched the bundled reverently. Bozu was on the edge of tears as helplessly he looked after her, following in her shadow as she reached for her naginata.

" _No!"_ Karasu choked in a panic.

Blurring amidst a fluster of feathers; bells; bits of metal, and shiny things, the crow lost his hat in his haste to bar Kubi from the front door. Karasu flinched as she let the butt of her spear strike the floor heavily.

"Move, Karasu."

"Hah!" The crow choked on a nervous caw, "Y-you can't go back out there! W-we barely made it back!

"I said move!" She growled, "Or I'll give you more than another black eye!"

The bird shrank to a crouch at her feet, cringing as if accepting the prospect of a beating even as he held his ground.

"I know m'a coward an' y-you hate me but I love you an' I don't know what I'd do if y'didn' come back!"

Kubi was unmoved, still standing over him like stone.

"They took Chouchin," she returned flintily, "I'll be damned if I let them have Grandpa Bean."

The bird blinked rapidly before slumping to one side of the doorway and making way. Haku watched Karasu turn his face into the frame bowed by shame as Kubi strode by. As the subsequent silence stretched longer and longer Bozu lifted his chin and shoved the wad of cloth down the front of his kimono. The little yokai tottered over and pulled the taciturn bird to a seat at the low table before retrieving the bowler hat. Instead of taking it for himself Bozu carefully arranged it on Karasu's head. The goblin patted the crow's shoulder consolingly.

"There, there, stupid bird. Bozu take care of you till Kubi comes back."

At a loss Haku stared through the open window into the swallowing dark beyond and shivering as cold poured through until it filled the room. As he did such emotions filled him, scattering his thoughts in unruly gusts until he felt like a bottle about to burst. Then something inside him snapped, sending him snatching up his coat.

Haku yanked the folded bit of gray from the pocket. Shaking it out he drew it on, shivering as cold magic seared his skin. At once his tattered human clothes transformed, becoming the blue lacquered armor Onsen had gifted to him. The cold weight of Hanoane appeared at his hip. Red fletched arrows rattled in his quiver as he took out and set the string on his bow. Drawing on his mask he closed his eyes and took a deep steadying breath that did nothing to ward off the stone of terror weighing his stomach.

 _"Oi!"_ Bozu stamped his bare foot, "No go outside, stupid dragon!"

The stunned crow lifted his tear streaked face to blink at him with uncomprehending black eyes.

"Dragon? What dragon?"

Again Haku looked away. The bird's suffering hurt him physically. It struck him firmly, moving Haku to place a hand on the bird's shoulders. They were so very thin, almost brittle. Since when had Gods become so frail?

"Do not be afraid," Haku repeated with quiet assurance, "Kubi-san will return."

In one stride he was across the room, vaulting over the window sill.

Out, Haku plunged; out into the height of the kami hour.

* * *

 **Notes:**

(1) Naginata (なぎなた, 薙刀) is a pole weapon that was traditionally used in Japan by members of the samurai class. A naginata consists of a wooden shaft with a curved blade on the end. The _naginata_ has become associated in modern  Japan as a woman's weapon as it is studied by women more than men. Source - Wikipedia

(2) Badger or mujina (like the tanuki and the fox of Japanese folklore) is an avid shapeshifter and deceiver of humans. One of the forms the mujina is purported to take is that of a "faceless ghost."

(3) Incidentally, Ue-no means to be above, so this translates to "Above Kami," just like Shita-kami from Shitamachi means "Below Kami."

(4) For more on the kappa see the Obakemono project page:  obake/kappa/


	35. Chapter 35

**HAKU**

On sure feet Haku climbed the slick tiles to perch on the apex of the roof.

It was strange to see the world from above again.

How quickly he had grown used to the ground.

The frozen night air blew right through him. The sky was clear but no stars showed through the sickly yellow orange glow of the distant lights. Over the spindly bare limbs of the trees he could see the black mirror of the pond. Buildings loomed on the opposite shore like some kind of approaching nightmare, standing like sleeping giants, terrifyingly beetle like and insectorous with their many rows of red and yellow eyes and blinking antenna lights. He shivered, for the world was strange tonight.

"Oi! _Oi!"_ Bozu called after him angrily from the window sill below, "Stupid dragon! Kubi no need your help! Come back!"

Before the little goblin could follow Haku took out the umbrella and stretched the handle long. Pushing up his mask and fitting his foot into the crook of the staff he put on his glasses and clutched the compass in his free hand. Another gust of wind caught the fabric of the parasol as it opened. Up into the night he whisked like a bit of dandelion fluff. Elation sang in his veins as the speed of flight thrilled inside his chest. Not too high, however, and he barely skirted the tree tops. Not surprisingly the compass needle pointed to the north east, an unlucky direction, the direction of demons.

Ghosting overhead in wide looping arcs, wafted on the periodic gusts, Haku scanned the distant ground. At first there was nothing. Somehow the world had been warned for not a soul stole through the park. With sharp eyes he watched the many empty paths break and scatter through the tight copse of trees and shrubs. No sight of Kubi yet though the arrow still pointed in this direction.

He saw the fires first. The glaring lights made his eyes ache, forcing him to look from the corners of his eyes. He saw the human's next, the homeless mortals he had seen wandering aimlessly during the day. They clustered around the barrels of fire, drawn in tight knots of terror holding sticks and clubs all the while searching the dark with blind eyes. Haku could see the whites of their eyes flash like teeth in the dark. He could smell the wild fear rising off of them in great sickly clouds and for good reason.

The shadows were crawling with spiders.

Fear pitched Haku too low for comfort and he blew a buffeting gale into the umbrella, sending himself higher and higher until the demons were barely specks. Patches of dark he took to be shadow turned out to be swarms too many to count. His insides went sick with terror as he was forced again and again to propel himself upwards as fear dragged him down like a stone.

The spiders ventured close to the humans from time to time but never close enough for fear of the lights. Their great black casing showed like polished onyx in the trees and their red eyes glittered in the brush like oni-lights. Riding wings of silence Haku passed over in a blink. His attention sharpened as the glasses directed him right to a glint of armor hidden behind the trees. Clearly he saw the mark of Shitamatchi amidst the brush. Stalking the spiders were packs of dogs and it took him a moment to realize the kami were using the humans as bait.

He flew by the dogs to find nothing but empty trees and park beneath him. Then he saw her; a flash of white in the dark. For a moment he lost her. But Haku's head nearly wrenched around, making his scramble to catch the haft of the umbrella as the glasses pointed his eyes to a bridge crossing a weedy green creek. Even from his vantage it stank of rotting garbage. Corkscrewing mid-air, Haku let himself sink all the while scanning the dark for the glow of eyes. Haku landed on silent feet, folding and stowing his gifts as his wind passed by, half drowning Kubi's voice as dry leaves scuttled across the bridge.

"Where are you, you _senile_ old fart!? I can smell you so quit hiding!"

She was under the bridge and her voice echoed loud enough to make Haku flinch. The stink was terrible, probably the reason the old kami had chosen to hide here. He doubted any spider could smell anything in all this human filth. Haku came up short just beneath the bridge as he found Kubi crouched beside a metal drainage grate. Her hands firmly clasped the haft of her naginata as if ready for anything. But her neck stretched in long pale loops, threading between the metal bars of the grate. Her head was poking around somewhere far below the ground. Haku's insides contracted as he realized she was terribly exposed. If a dog had found her she would be dead.

"K-Kubi? Is that you d-dear?"

An old tremulous voice echoed from below.

"Of course it's me, you idiot! Who else could smell you through all this rot!? Where are you!? Keep talking I've almost found you!"

"I'm over here, dear." The old kami's voice echoed closer and closer from the opposite grate sounding terribly sheepish, "I've lost my beans. I dropped them and I found all but four. Be a dear and help me look, would you?"

From below Kubi sputtered in fury as above her hands wrung the haft of her naginata as if wishing it was the neck of the old kami.

"You're counting beans!? _Beans!?_ Get over here! Right now! So help me old man, don't make me _bite_ you!"

In any other situation he might have laughed for he did not put it past Kubi to bite someone. It was, however, terribly unfortunate that the pipes amplified their voices making them ten times louder. It was a wonder the whole park was not listening. Pressing closer into the thick shadows Haku came to stand beside Kubi, nervously glancing in either direction as he drew his sword just in case. Her body tensed as the blade made the tiniest scrape and Haku froze.

"What is it dear?" Grandpa Bean hushed from below, "Is something amiss?"

Haku barely had time to block as the headless body sprang to action.

It swung at him with startling acuity.

The impact knocked him back six feet right into the opposite stone wall!

He darted aside as the headless body swung the great blade as it if were weightless. It struck stone and cleaved a huge chunk from the wall, slicing at him again and again until he was half flying to evade it. Gods above, Kubi was fast! Running up the adjacently wall he back flipped over the singing blade as it nearly cut through him, embedding itself in stone. Luckily this time it stuck, leaving her heaving the haft. That, however, did not give him with a moment's reprieve.

Her neck smashed into him from behind, hurling him into the mucky filthy. Had he not just been put through this!? Exasperated and done with being beaten, Haku threw himself into the air spinning like a top, narrowly avoid being smashed and strangled by the seeking loops of her neck. Lightly he landed on one of the looping coils only to spring to the next as it smashed up into the stone roof. Finding the ground Haku seized her by the collar where her body was still tugging at the naginata. With all his might he threw her to the ground, making a cushion of her once more before placing Hanoane's cold edge of against the base of her thrashing neck.

" _Kubi, stop!"_ He thundered, _"It is Haku!"_

She went perfectly still.

"Nigihayami?"

"Yes, yes! Who else could it be!?"

"Why t'hell did you sneak up on me?!"

He snorted, "For exactly this reason!"

"What the hell are you doing here?! Why aren't you back with the others!?"

"I could not bare to see them look after you as if you would never return."

Haku threw back the truth mercilessly. Instantly Kubi silenced and he stood, taking her hands and pulling her upright only to watch as the errant loops of her neck collected back onto her shoulders while her body waved its hands around, blindly seeking the wall, patting at the scarred and dented stone until it found and pried loose the naginata. Then her body flinched as her neck went taut at the point it disappeared into the sewer. Again Haku was forced to duck as her neck swooped over his head, gyrating around off her shoulders at all angles tugging and struggling only to remained exactly where it was. All the while her body paced back and forth beside the grate wringing its hands fretfully around the haft of the naginata.

"Um," Kubi's voice echoed out of all four drainage grates, "We have a problem."

"Woman!?" Haku wilted in exasperation, "How is it that you can be _stuck!?_ "

"How _fuck_ d'you think I got stuck!?"

Her body turned on him only to slam the butt of the pole weapon on the ground as Kubi's voice continued to echo from below.

"It's a maze of pipe down here! I'm probably looped up on myself somewhere! Grandpa? Grandpa, can you see anything?"

"Oh, dear. Oh, dear, dear, dear."

The timorous voice clambered nearer and nearer until a tiny wizen goblin clambered out of the nearest grate in a great hurry. Bald in pate save for the tufts of gray hair at his temples so sparse it could have been wood smoke, the kami was dressed in a tattered green twill vest and breeches at odds with the era. His hands and feet were huge in comparison to his tiny stature and his skin was pale blue, which made his startlingly red eyes all that much more unnerving behind his wire-rimmed spectacles. With his three fingered hands he clutched a copper kettle as if it was the most precious thing in the world.

"Young man!" The goblin waved him over all the while pointing at the grate, "Young man you must help!"

Haku sheathed his sword and came to the grate, crouching beside the old yokai as he blinked and blinked behind his glasses, inspecting the grate with the utmost concentration before turning his huge eyes up at him as if about to divulge a great truth.

"Well, my boy… I think she is stuck."

Haku ducked again as Kubi's neck went sailing over their heads.

" _No shit grandpa!"_ Her enraged voice echoed from below as her body above began pacing and gesturing wildly, "This can't be happening right now! The park is crawling with dogs and spiders and I've got my fucking _head_ stuck down a drain!"

"Shhh!" Haku cautioned, "You echo too loudly from below!"

"There, there," Grandpa Bean patted Kubi's knee consolingly, "Things could be much worse, my dear."

Kubi was wringing the haft of her naginata again.

"How could this be any worse, old man!?"

An explosion rocked the treetops in the clearing beside the bridge, lighting up the night with tawny fire. Flames pelted the ground, spitting every which way. Haku seized Kubi around the waist and grabbed the yokai by his collar, throwing them back against the wall. Burning branches rained from above, hissing as they extinguished in the muddy creek. Into the distant nest of smoldering charcoal landed the bulk of a charred spider.

Haku's heart nearly punched its way free of his chest as the demon hit the ground far too close for comfort. He felt the thwack of its impact echo inside his chest. But there was no where to flee as howls and yips boomed overhead. Paws hammered the bridge as the spider surfaced from her crater with a hiss that turned Haku's blood to ice. The sound made him forget the tiny goblin clinging to his arm. It made him forget that he held Kubi round the middle, ready to pull her free is necessary. The sound turned his legs to rubber, turned him to a coward as the spider stood to her full height, throwing out her many arms to tower over the dogs as they leapt off the ledge of the bridge.

She spit silk as the soldiers scattered around her feet, illuminated by shreds of lingering fire and the malevolent gleam of her blood red eyes. The ground ripped and exploded under her projectiles, showering the tunnel with clots of dry dirt. A silken missile exploded against the opposite stones, spraying them with pebbles and harmless tickling films. Haku ripped these from his face in a panic. Again the spider shrieked as the dogs snapped at her legs, cutting and slashing at her with their swords. She retreated, springing and climbing the trees only to be torn down and dragged back by whizzing grappling hooks. The dogs were laughing now, laughing as they hauled and heaved on the line until one of her legs ripped free with a slick sickening pop.

The demon wailed in agony and Haku's stomach heaved at the sound.

He looked away cringing into the stone.

It was too human a sound.

Something sliced through the air and Haku looked back again as the spider silenced. Her mouth hung open, revealing the rows of razors she bore as teeth. But then the demon wavered. It was dark so it took him a moment to see the arrow protruding from her left eye. The spider toppled over dead as a foxfire erupted into being over the clearing. The dog soldiers cringed from it with timid whines as an enormous centipede erupted from the brush in a hissing clattered of legs. Astride it with her bow still in hand was the half-fox soldier Haku had met twice before now.

Aki's yellow green eyes flashed like mirrors in the dark from inside her helm. The emblem of Shitamatchi on her breastplate was almost hidden beneath spatters of black blood. More black blood sullied her face as she gave a shrill whistle. The centipede came to a halt and she slipped out of the saddle of red leather attached to the monstrous creature's mid section. At once the dogs fell in line at her feet as the enormous insect stared cock-eyed over its mistress' head with the glittering green facets of its eyes. Again Aki whistled, pointing with her bow at the corpse of the spider. Eagerly the centipede surged forward and claimed it with its enormous pincers, dragging the carcass off into the dark as the dogs shrank from it with tremulous whines.

"What did I tell you, _dogs_!?" Aki barked as she snapped her bow string angrily, making the soldiers flinch and grovel as the foxfire crackled.

"Sorry, Aki-san." A brown mutt whined as he flattened to the ground.

"It's just too much fun when they run." A white spotted cur in their midst whimpered as he thumped his tail stupidly.

Haku flinched as Aki stuck the dog with her bow, knocking him to the ground and making him cringe belly up at her feet she bared her sharp teeth at the others, snarling fiercely as the animal inside emerged into her pointed features.

"Kill clean, dogs! Or I'll skin you myself!"

"Y-yes, Aki-san!" They barked in obedient unison.

Haku startled as Kubi heaved beside him, pulling with all her might until something popped beneath their feet. Her filthy head rocketed out of the grate and back onto her shoulder, sending her sagging dizzily. He caught her, dragging her upright as all eyes in the clearing wheeled round onto them. At once Aki's foxfire darted under the bridge exploding into brightness, half blinding him as he cried out in surprise.

"It's the traitor!" One of the dogs bayed.

"Get the bell!" Another yipped wildly.

"Forget the bell!" Another howled with chilling hate. "General gave order to kill her on sight!"

"Stand down!" Aki barked ferocious, "I said stand down, dogs!"

This time they did not obey.

Time seemed to slow as Haku turned and ran.

How heavy Kubi and Grandpa Bean seemed as he dragged them along.

All he could feel was the slow sluggish pump of the icy mud in his veins.

All he could feel was the burn inside his lungs, hot and stinging like acid.

Panic: how weak and slow it made him.

It dragged him down even as barks sounded at his back.

Though the seconds seemed to stretch into hours and even days, there was not enough time to reach for his umbrella even as black sky opened over his head on the opposite side of the bridge. There was not enough time to reach for the watch that was not a watch for that would mean dropping one of them. He could feel the heat of the dogs' breath on his back. He could feel the loping impact of their paws. In a fraction more of a second his flesh would have felt their teeth if the spiders had not fallen on them from above.

Haku saw them before the dogs; saw the glowing flock of their red eyes hanging like stars in the trees above. Behind him the kami yipped and shrieked as Haku stumbled and fell. He curled into a ball and was trampled by paws. But the weight lifted with yelping squeals as the hiss of silk tore the air. The white spotted cur was snatched from his chest at the same time as the brown mutt and the brindled bitch. Abruptly they silenced, swallowed by the thick flock of grasping hands.

Terror poured through Haku white hot and cold because he did not want to die!

He shrank against the ground only to find it firm.

There was nowhere to go as the swarm of red eyes descended for him.

The spiders could have been gaki there were so many.

Black and unyielding, just like the Forgotten.

Dumb with terror Haku screamed as fire exploded in their midst, blinding burning fire that sent the host scuttling back up into the trees in a fleet of smoldering screeches. Hands seized him by the front of his armor, yanking him from the ground and putting him on his feet.

"Run!" Aki barked as she shoved him hard, nearly sending him sprawling back to the ground as he stared at her uncomprehendingly, "I said run, you fool!"

She whistled high and clear, drawing twin swords to slash her way into the swarm all the while snarling and baring sharp white teeth.

"Here, you bitches! Come and get me!"

Her single fox-fire gyrated wildly, flaring and flashing while trying to chase back a tide that could not be turned. Then the ground vibrated with the thunderous approach of many feet. Like some kind of whale breeching a hideous tide the giant red centipede burst through the wall of black casings, rearing and charging as it thrashed and tore at the trundling fleeing bodies.

Dumbstruck with horror Haku could only stare. In his life he had seen terrible things. He had seen the earth bleed and run red with suffering. He had seen mountains leveled and rivers smothered. He had seen ghosts and demons so black and empty they swallowed even light. He had seen God kill God for the sake of food and greed. He himself had killed for the sake of life. But to see Kami kill Kami for the sake of hate, there were no words for such madness.

A hand seized his and pulled. He followed, barely registering the fact that he was running or that Kubi was carrying Grandpa Bean ahead of him. He barely saw anything until again fire plumed behind them distant and strangely quiet. But the shock of the light knocked him back to his senses and Haku came to a standstill. Kubi had his arm again, pulling him against his will until he tore himself free. Looking back the way they had come he watched with a mounting sense of dread as the light slowly blotted out.

"She saved us," he hushed to no one in particular.

"She left us to die before, _remember!?_ She left us at the shrine so leave her now!"

Kubi attacked him with merciless words, pulling till his shoulder screamed with pain. Haku rounded on her angrily, chasing her back a step with his vehemence.

"Aki could have left us again but did not. I cannot leave her now."

Behind her mask Kubi's silver eyes went hard. A thread of trepidation wound its way through Haku's throat as he admitted to himself that should she choose to force him he had little hope of resisting. She was far stronger than he. Physical weakness was a terribly thing, but Haku was not completely helpless. Inside his pocket his fingers closed over the watch that was not a watch as Kubi took a step towards him threateningly.

"You're coming with me whether you like it or not."

"I like it not," Haku muttered beneath his breath, "And I will see you at home."

Kubi's eyes contracted with confusion as he pressed the button, freezing in place her slow stricken expression of understanding.

With a click the world stood still.

But he did not see the panic in the God-woman's eyes.

He was looking back at the dark copse of trees.

Even though he was beyond time Haku ran.

He ran; ran right into a black forest of arms and teeth.


	36. Chapter 36

**HAKU**

Shaking with a dread that was absolute Haku forced himself forward.

The light from the distant city grew thin, letting hideous shadows stretched across him from above, pressing him smaller and smaller until he feared he might snuff into nothing. With each step it grew cold, so bitter cold he could see his trembling breath because magic teemed like an electric hum beneath his feet. It was so terribly quiet he went deaf inside the sound of his furiously beating heart because overhead and all around hung an endless thicket of spindly black arms and legs.

Spinning spindly roads of silk they traversed easily on their tiny feet, the horde of spiders was frozen in place. All around him they hung motionless; dangling deadly bobbles of shiny polished jet. Their eyes were dull as carefully he wound his way between them, cringing from touching the hairy spines of their legs just as he tried not to look at their hideously beautiful faces. Haku was forced to slow, carefully picking his way through gouges in the earth as the bodies grew thick. They began clustering and clambering on top of each other in their haste to reach something.

Then he saw the centipede's carcass.

It had been torn to pieces; ripped limb from limb until the hollow segments of its body lay like haphazardly tossed rings on a ground wet with the piles of its glistening green innards. There was not enough room between the bodies to pass on foot, nor was there room in the air lest he become tangles in webs, and so through this horror he was forced to crawl. He wretched twice until there was nothing left to lose but still his stomach heaved. His skin slithered with revulsion for blood was thick on the ground. Oh, the _smell!_ He knew this smell. He knew what it tasted like and again it smeared on his face and grew sticky on his hands.

Lifting his face to peer through the thicket of legs Haku blinked and found himself nose to nose with a severed head. It lolled in the grass ahead of him, dull red eyes faintly glowing like dwindling coals. He cried out. It was a shrill mewling sound that frightened him even more. He jerked aside, knocking back into the tangled wall of legs only to shout again as the spider he knocked into moved made room for him. Fear pitched up into his throat with such fervor it threatened him with a swoon for fear he might have broken the spell of stillness. But the sea of bodies hung over him with an immobility that was terrifyingly complete. It would have been crushing if not for the panicked beating of his heart.

All the same his mind constructed such chillingly vivid visions that he almost fled. But he did not. Stronger than his urge to run was his self-loathing; Haku hated the cowardice brewing inside him. He hated the weak trembling in his tiny frail limbs. That hate turned to determination and it sustained him as he stood. Leaning away even as he pushed feebly against the monstrous casing the blocked his path, Haku blinked in awe as again the spider moved. Docile and compliant, it stepped aside only to fall still. As it did there was a flash of light ahead of him, the thinnest flicker frozen in time. Nudging a path among the bodies Haku slide forward, sidling around a headless spider carcass out into a breech.

Here he found Aki.

Haku blinked and wavered, turning from the sight with a barely restrained moan. But he forced himself to look back because Aki was still alive. Her swords were gone. So was her helm. Her face was twisted with agony as she hauled on the spear of silk that pierced her side, pinning her to the ground. All the same her eyes burned with defiance as if she intended to pry the lance free and use it to fight. Above Aki hung a tiny fox-fire; the yellow light cast terrible shadows across the wall of shells that domed over them, reflecting back the swarm of ruby mirrored eyes.

Haku shrank from the imposing figure it illuminated. Standing over the half-fox in the bowl of bodies was an enormous spider. She was monstrous; larger than Jouma; larger even than any of her dull black sisters. Carefully Haku inched over to kneel beside Aki all the while cautiously watching the demon. She bore too familiar red and yellow markings and the great lobed crown of spinney ridges similar to antiquated hairstyles.

This was the queen of this nest.

Here was the mother of all the horror that stood immobilized around him.

Crouched there beside the stricken half-fox Haku knew that he could kill this spider. There was nothing to stop him. Standing shakily, he found himself within reach. All he had to do was to take up Hanoane and strike her head from her shoulder just as he had Jouma. But even as he shook with that truth; even as he was awed by the tiny bit of gear and metal inside his pocket; even as he stilled with astonishment over the power it had bestowed on him; Haku could not bring himself to kill again.

Turning his back to the spider he grasped the lance pinning Aki to the ground and held his breath. Shoving down the stab of nausea churning in his gut Haku wrenched it free and cast it aside. Haku hurriedly shook out his umbrella and tucked the haft into his elbow before carefully collecting Aki off the ground. The moment he touched her half-fox complied with the nearly comatose movements of the spiders. No blood welled from the wicked wound; none would so long as they remained out of time. Tucking his foot into the crook of the handle Haku slung Aki's arm over his shoulder. He grasped her round the waist already calling a wind beneath his feet and glad the half-fox was senseless; otherwise the pain would have been terrible.

As a storm built in his heart, circling this chest like a cold cloud of pain, Haku finally looked up into the spider queen's face. His insides stilled at what he saw. There was no hate in this spider's face; no blind fanaticism or vicious glee. Instead there was nothing but weary sadness. Haku glanced down as light glinted off something at her middle. Tucked into the spider's obi were two fans. Bells hung from the handles. _Bells!_ They were beaten and worn, but remained uncannily familiar: gold and silver but backed in red just like Okesa's fans.

Haku was so shocked that the wild gale slipped through his control, he scrambled to catch it only to have it propel him upwards so swiftly his neck snapped painfully. Haku scrambled to hold onto Aki and the haft of the umbrella as the fretful storm threw them up through a latticed roof of legs and arms and out into the empty night sky. Oh how his heart sang to be free of the crushing press of bodies! Up into vast emptiness he rocketed. Higher and higher he rose until the air thinned and frosted him with cold. Still, all he could see inside his head was the queen spider's face. Because deep in the marrow of his bones Haku knew he would pay for his moment's weakness. Not now, but certainly later and slowly but surely that fact dragged him down like a stone.

Faster than was probably wise he plunged until Ueno loomed in a spangled blot of dark amidst the coursing tributaries of light. He was still wearing his glasses and quickly found a familiar roof in the sea of buildings. Haku blew guiding mistrals that turned him towards the electric lights pooling in the courtyard behind the building. These grew larger and larger until the ground swallowed the sky and his feet touched earth. It was odd that the lights made no noise; neither had any of the winds he called; neither did the stairs as he came up carrying Aki. His door was still hanging open.

Haku paused on the threshold to take in the frozen chaos inside.

In the middle of the room Karasu was hanging around Kubi's middle hugging her close even though she was covered in filth. Kubi had taken off her mask and had reeled back her fist to give the bird another black eye. The crow had lost his hat again, which Bozu eagerly claimed. Holding up the brim the goblin watched with glee as if anticipating the fight. Ignoring the others, Sumirei the rat girl was frowning into the empty refrigerator as Kitten clutched the hem of her coat with a hungry frown. Badger was kneeling at Grandpa Bean's feet with rapt wide-eyed attention. The old kami leaned over him with wide red eyes magnified by his glasses, miming claws Haku knew far too well. The kappa was peering out the bathroom curiously, soaking a puddle into the floor.

The tableau painted by the unruly Gods struck Haku.

It inspired in him such strange emotions.

Tears sprung into his eyes for it reminded him so very much of home.

Still outside of time Haku came inside and stepped around the other kami to lay Aki on his bed. Red in the face with embarrassment he unbuckled her armor glad to find she wore a short red kimono and voluminous trousers beneath. Haku peered at the deep wound that seemed to reach on into forever. Forsaking his armor he folded his cloak and reverted to his human clothes. As he producing the gourd of O-Inari-sama's spring water his glasses urged him on with such fervor he instantly had a splitting headache. He doused the wound with a careful measure of camphor smelling liquid, blinking as it hissed and frothed.

Aki flinched, loosing a low moan as her hands tightened on the sheet. Red tinged the water a slowly Haku realized time was returning. So the watch had a limit after all. Again he bathed the wound, blotting at it with the sheet for it was the cleanest thing he owned. The fabric came away stained with red but at least the wound was no longer a gaping hole. Unfortunately it was nowhere near healed. Forsaking the water he turned instead to salt as murmuring voices approached, distant as first but growing closer and closer.

Leaning over her Haku awkwardly patted the fox-woman's face.

"Aki? Aki, can you hear me?"

Movement slowly began in the peripheries of his vision.

"If you can hear me I apologize. I fear this will hurt."

Taking a handful of salt from the sack he stored with Onsen's other gifts Haku pressed the grit into the wound all the while cringing. The half-fox's yellow-green eyes flew wide at the same moment time came crashing down. Aki sat bolt upright with howl of pain. He had half been expecting this. He had not expected her to catch him by the throat and hurling him cross the room. As he hit the wall it caved behind his back. He half expected to continue straight through into Origa's dance studio. Instead he slid to a rude seat on the floor.

He had no inertia left. No strength to stir or move. With a sigh he let himself sag there between the wall and the floor. The room whirled around him as Haku lay there stunned by the ringing in his ears.

" _He's dead! He's dead!"_

It took him a moment to realize in the distance Sumirei was screaming.

"No, he just stinks like dead _spider!_ " Badger decried.

Kubi was shouting now too. It seemed now that everyone was shouting.

"Put me down Karasu! Put me down or _so help me…!"_

A solid thwack echoed through the room as the crow uttered a truncated squawk.

" _Shhh!"_ Bozu hissed, "Stupid dragon not dead so not kill stupid bird either!"

Blinding rapidly, Haku recoiling as Kubi filled his vision. Her naked face was aged with terror. Cold hands grasped his face, swearing blood and plaster dust as she shook him. Oh how the inside of his skull sloshed with white hot pain!

" _Nigihayami!?"_

"Do not shake me, Kubi-san…" Haku implored weakly all the while plucked at her hands, "Please do not shake me…"

Kubi sat back on her heels wilting with relief. Karasu sidled up to her shoulder, crouching beside her with a hand pressed to his face where she had hit him. The bird peered at him with a sober frown.

"You okay, brother?"

The bird jolted with a hoarse squawk as Aki threw herself upright only to collapse gripping her side. The half-fox produced a gleaming knife from some secret place as she spilled to the floor gracelessly. At once the God-children scattered into hiding throughout the tiny room as the Shitamachi solider pointed the blade at Kubi.

" _Traitor!"_ Aki snarled, _"This is your fault!"_

Karasu uttered another startled squawk as the half-fox threw her knife. It hit the wall right next to Haku's head, sinking half-way to the hilt. Kubi wrenched it free claiming it for her own. She was on her feet in front of them pointing it back at Aki.

"Spare me your bullshit, dog! You're an idiot if you think Garuda is to blame for Shitamachi's evils!"

Haku jolted as the name rang in his ears like a deep brass bell.

It echoed inside his chest, waking him from his stupor.

Still struggling to stand the half-fox found another knife from somewhere inside her sleeve, glaring with raw hatred as she clutched her side.

" _You_ brought him to us! You bring his _poisons_ on us still!"

Flecks of spittle flew from her parched lips as she continued, spilling such confounding truths Haku hung on every word struggling to understand.

"Shitamachi _withers_ beneath his shadow still! You have him bottled up somewhere in the caverns and the spiders know! They tear apart our world searching for him! You are nothing before Shurui's children, they are too many! You cannot hope to keep him from them! Garuda must be destroyed!"

Slowly Aki bent as she managed to master her fury. As she reached out to Kubi blood was wet on her fingers and a fat blot fell to the floor. Commanding with her eerie bright eyes, the half-fox's appealed in a voice tempered by conviction.

"All this can come to an end, Kubi. All you need do is give me the bell."

Kubi's naked face turned to a blank mask as she stared for a long moment, considering the God-woman's blood stained hand. Then she sneered, revealing her black teeth as such a cold smoky laugh ran an across her white lips.

"You can't destroy him, Aki. Believe me, I _know._ You call me a traitor but I did what none of you could." Kubi pronounced each word with cold certainty, "I will keep him until the day I die."

Aki growled like an animal deep inside her chest as a fox-fire guttered to life over her, flooding the room with crackling shadows as she bared sharp teeth.

"That can be arranged."

At once Kubi's head snaked from her shoulder, coiling up into the rafters, hanging over them like a white squall as her silver eyes flashed like lightening. Oh, such fury filled the tiny room as the God-women faced each other. It sent the hairs on Haku arms standing on end as his breath freezing on his lips. The bulb overhead pulsed and rattled before it burst, sending angry shadows chasing around the room as the walls between the worlds thinned beneath the power of their hate.

" _Oh, shit! Oh, shit!"_ Karasu hissed between his teeth in a panic all the while shedding black feathers, _"They're gonna kill each other!"_

No. Kubi had the upper hand. He knew with chilling certainty that Aki would not survive this fight. Haku scrambled to stand, struggled to call them off each other, but his body was weighted by pain and exhaustion. But before they could fall upon each other the cat burst from the closet hissing and spitting with every hair standing on end. Aki straightened as all the fight went out of her. She stepped up onto the bed out of the range of the furious God-child, watching the cat with an utterly baffled expression. She was forced to tuck up the brush of her tail as the youngling swatted at it harmlessly.

 _"Kitten, no!"_ Sumirei shrilled.

Haku cringed at the raw terror in the rat's voice. Gods above! She was actually afraid that Aki might harm the kitten! All eyes in the room went to the closet as the god-girl scrambled after her charge only to come up short, dragged backwards as badger named Gohan caught her coat. The poor boy had his hands full. Crammed inside the closet with him was the old kami and Bozu. The one-eyed goblin was no help at all, peering grimly from the top shelf as he hid beneath the brim of Karasu's bowler all the while clutching something tightly. The world seemed to slow as Haku realized what the goblin was trying to hide. He remembered how Kubi had passed it to the Bozu not once but twice now. He remembered seeing the bell in the cavern below.

It was not just a bell. It was a key.

And now he knew what it contained.

As Bozu did all he could to disappear Grandpa Bean evaded Gohan, the lithe old fellow was too slippery. He ducked under Badger's arm and tottered forward wearing a dour frown. Plunging a hand into his copper kettle the yokai produced a handful of dried red bean which he threw at Aki. The half-god flinched as they bounced harmlessly. Karasu loosed a brassy squawk as Grandpa Bean turned and threw another handful of beans at Kubi. Adzuki clattered off the walls and scattered on the floor all around them. Though they were simply beans Kubi was so surprised her head shot back onto her shoulders, making her teeter and shrink from the old God. He looked like an angry wizened owl as his enormous magnified eyes blinked and peered sternly.

"Shame! Shame, I say! Fighting like fools when there are children present!"

Grandpa Bean stamped his filthy foot, scolding the bloodlust out of the God women as if they were errant children. The old kami patted Kitten on the head before he bent and busied with gathering up the beans he had thrown. The cat forgot his claws and crouched to help pick up beans, slipping them into the God's pockets.

"Shame," Grandpa Bean muttered as he scuttled about.

"Listen to you two. You throw truth back and forth but neither of you are listening. You're so caught up in being right that you've lost sight of what's best."

The wizened God had worked his way over to Aki as he scoured the floor for beans. As if he had forgotten who she was Grandpa Bean peered around her to an adzuki resting on the sheet beside her.

"Hand me that bean, would you dear?"

Setting down her knife Aki picked up the bean and held it out with shaking fingers. The old God took it with a grateful bow.

"Thank you, dear."

Continuing to prattle on he peered under the bed in search of more beans.

"God hating God; God killing God; what rot! We should all be looking after each other. Instead we're at each other's throats over purity and all that nonsense. Did you know the guards won't let these children come below because they say they're _tainted_?"

Shock wiped Aki's already pale face as her eyes went straight to the kitten.

"W-what?"

"You heard him," Kubi muttered darkly.

She pocketed the knife, stepping out of Kitten's way as he practically climbed between her ankles to get a bean. All the while Grandpa Bean continued muttering.

"What does it matter if we're more or less whole? A god is a god and there are so few of us left. Besides, children are always lucky. But still, the guards bar them from coming under where it's safe from the spiders."

Peeking under the sheets, the old kami wormed his way under the bed.

"Oh my… There's lots of beans under here."

Aki was once again gripping her side as a shadow of doubt dimmed her fox-fire.

"I… I wasn't told we were denying _children_ …"

"How would you know about anything about up here," Kubi groused , "M'surprised you can even stand to deign yourself to step foot up here in all this _filth._ "

Aki's eyes went sharp with anger, "We come to kill spiders!"

"How's that going by the way?" Kubi looked her up and down with a sniff, "Not too good from the look of it."

Aki bared sharp teeth, "And whose fault is that?!"

Her foxfire let out a guttering pop. Kitten fled with a hiss, throwing himself between Haku and Karasu as Badger dragged the rat girl back into the closet, slamming the door shut.

"I'm sorry," Aki was genuinely contrite, "I didn't mean to scare him."

All the same the bird secreted the cat into his coat, letting him hide as he stared askance at the half-fox.

"S'okay," the crow hushed tremulously, doing his best to be brave, "B-but you are seriously scary."

Tears stung Haku's eyes as the cat began to purr. If ever a sound could break his heart it was this. It forced himself to his feet even as every bone and muscle in his body shrieked. Irritably he waved off Kubi's concern, dusting off bits of plaster and splintered wood that stuck to the dried blood and filth caking his face and clothes. Put in a foul mood by all the trouble that had found him this evening Haku glared as the half-fox finally took notice of him. In a voice with far more authority than he would be able to enforce Haku addressed the soldier.

"Your wound is grave. I insist you rest here to morning. But let it be known I will not tolerate violence in my home. I want your word, Aki-san."

"I swear on O-Inari-sama's name that I shall harm no one here this night," Aki returned with quiet solemnity.

Haku glanced at Kubi only to find her seated on his kitchen counter lighting her tobacco pipe. Scandalized, he sputtered a moment.

"Kubi, I forbid you to smoke! Kubi, are you listening to me!?"

She ignored him, breathing out a long curling cloud that smelled like burning wood, filling his home with her familiar cloying stench. More than annoyed Haku blew a well aimed gust through his pinched fingers. Instantly the pipe embers extinguished. Kubi jumped before glancing at him sourly. He glared back just as surly. Looking away he found Aki staring at him askance as if seeing him for the first time. As Aki saw him the fox-fire overhead pulsed brighter, filling the room with tawny light. Clearly he saw the awe on her face. To be looked at like a God kindled in him a flame of strength. Still stiff and aching from his unexpected flight Haku limped over but hesitated out of reaching distance.

"May I see the wound?"

Aki was leaning away from him. Her nostrils flared as she looked him up and down, no doubt smelling spider blood and other terrible things. Haku could not imagine what he looked like. He did not want to know what he looked like. Oh, how he wanted a shower, wanted to be rid of the filth on his skin. Very soon he would do just that, but not yet. The half-fox might to bleed to death at this rate.

"You saved me…" Aki hushed in awe voice, "How did _you_ save me?!"

She made it seem like an impossible thing. It was not so impossible if he had been a dragon. But now? Yes, Haku supposed it was an impossible thing he had done. Ignoring her question he inspected the stab as finally Aki moved her hand. Haku withdrew the gourd and salt from the pocket holding his folded cloak then thought twice and pulled free the pouch of camphor leaves.

"These will be of use."

Aki drew in a sharp breath as if already smelling the sacred plant. The half-fox studied his gifts as he carefully set them on the edge of the bed then lifted her shrewd yellow-green eyes to his face. Oh, how her hawk-like gaze put him on edge!

"What are you," Aki began uncertainly.

"I do not know," Haku returned truthfully, "It does not matter."

"He's a dragon, my dear," Grandpa Bean interjected from beneath the bed.

Haku shied from the yokai's words as his insides constricted with cold. Many sets of eyes turned onto him as the old kami revealed far too much as he wriggled out from under the bed.

" _Shoki, shoki, shoki!_ Ha-ha!" Grandpa Bean shook his kettle gleeful making the adzuki inside rasp and rattle, "He smells like wind and water. What else smells like that but a dragon, eh?"

Tired of being subjected to scrutiny, Haku turned his back on them approached the shower only to recoil from the stink of kappa. He stormed away in disgust, drawing the curtain and flicking on the light in the kitchen only to find Kubi missing from the counter. At the moment he did not care where she had gone.

"Call away your fox-fire, Aki-san, the spiders will see," Haku called over his shoulder frostily, "I shall return shortly with food."

Then he closed the door on the mess of Gods inside his apartment.

* * *

 **LIN**

Why did she always get herself into these situations? _Why?!_

She had enough to deal with.

Bills; babies; lazy workers; stupid humans; finding food.

The human world was supposed to be _easier_ than the spirit world.

It wasn't; at least not here; at least not for her.

Kumomi was about as haunted as a human town could get.

Lin came up short and every hair on her body stood on end. Already her heart was pumping blood through her veins. It turned to ice along with everything else in the hallway. The floor cracked and snapped, sheeting over with ice wherever Kiri's feet touched. Bits of frost blistered the walls as Lin passed. She cringed from the snow precipitating from the air. Candles in the chandeliers guttered and extinguish in Kiri's wake, engulfed by a shadow that swelled around her to fill the entire hall. Lin could barely see any light ahead of them because of it.

Shivering in apprehension she licked her lips nervously only to find they tasted like salt water. At once she was sick to her stomach. Glancing to the side she found bits of seaweed in Keiichi's hair. She and Suzume dragged the human between them. The priest, however, didn't resists, which made their task a lot easier. The meaty male was quite heavy. Mute and pale with shock, the human's gray eyes were riveted on his sister.

Keiichi flinched and jerked backwards as the veranda doors ahead of them flew open without being touched. The moon flooded in from outside, washing over Kiri as she paused on the threshold, looking back as if to make sure they were following. Under other circumstances Lin would've run the opposite way. Possession was a terrifying thing to witness even for a kami. This human seemed especially prone to the condition.

Again the girl transformed; turned unnatural by the spirit traveling inside her. The white of her kimono turned incandescent under the moon, almost glowing as Kiri's breath lifted in a thick misty veil from the bruised blue of her lips. It billowed around her narrow shoulders, pooling at her feet and in her footsteps like smoke rising off smoldering ashes. As the seconds seemed to drag, by more and more threads of silver glinted in the shrine maiden's black hair; it had ripped free of its tail and fell around her face in wild tangles.

Keiichi's knees buckled beneath the ghost's scrutiny.

He took a rude seat at the fox's feet, nearly dragging Lin with him.

"M-Manami…?"The priest croaked.

Unconcerned by Keiichi's revelation the haunted shrine maiden turned her dead eyes back at them.

" _I leave Keiichi in your care, Suzume-dono."_

Lin squirmed and looked away. Worst of all were Kiri's eyes; milky white as if they'd rolled up in her head. As they stared right through her all warmth seemed to drain from the world. It took every inch of her self control not to shrink back behind Suzume. She'd faced far worse and then cut it to ribbons. Gods, she'd gotten soft over these past few months! Suzume, however, met the ghost's gaze without flinching. As he stared back his lips drew into a thin grim line.

"I have questions for you, spirit."

" _I am no oracle. Ask your questions of Keiichi. He will tell far more than I._

Suzume's gold eyes burned with despair as he studied her with obvious unease. But still he reached for the ghost. As he did his confidence seemed to fracture and he hesitated, suddenly looking so very lost.

"Manami, I… I _cannot_ welcome you…! You do Ikiri great harm! Oh, Gods above, child! What am I to tell Reika of this?! "

Kiri flinched at the thick emotions in the fox's voice. Not for the first time the ghost inside her looked ashamed, becoming something more of her old self than the cold phantom haunting the poor human girl. But then her remorse was gone, replace only by ominousness.

" _It cannot be helped. I have business to attend to in this world."_

With that the ghost directed Kiri down the steps, gliding off into the dark as she crossed the stone courtyard and leaving a trail of seething footsteps in her wake. Not surprisingly the fox gave chase, gritting his teeth angrily as he flowed down the steps into the courtyard. The thin smoke of the ghost's voice floated back in a bare whisper that stopped the God in his tracks.

" _You are forbidden to follow, Suzume-dono. It is O-Inari-sama's will."_

Lin blinked rapidly at that. O-Inari-sama's will? At once Suzume went rigid as a board as he bleached with uncertainty. But his confusion transformed as the fires in his eyes smoldered with outrage. Revealing himself in his anger the fox clenched his shaking fists all the while watching the fleeting disappear into the shadowed gardens, heading west. He raged silently, pacing back and forth and gathering a host of angry blue fox-fires that lit the courtyard in blue from above. But Suzume was forced to obey the ghost's command and couldn't take a single step more to follow.

"S-Suzume-sensei is a _kistune!?_ "

Lin looked down as Keiichi gasped. The priest was staring stupidly at the God lights as they sputtered and flared. He shrank against her calves the way a child might hide in his mother's skirts and Lin wilted in exasperation, letting out a gusty sigh. She couldn't lie after all.

"Yes... He's kami and so am I."

The priest jerked away from her as if only now noticing who she was. Recognition lit up his face as he clambered down the steps on hands and knees, staring up at her with his eerie silver eyes. Lin gritted her teeth. It was unnerving to be seen for her exactly for what she was. She had an unsettling feeling the human would see her no matter what ruse she threw between them. Without a shred of concern for dignity, Keiichi lost his hat and clogs as he ran for the lights of his house.

Suddenly alone on the veranda Lin was painfully aware of the malevolent weight suddenly pushing on her back. Not needing any encouragement Lin hurried down the veranda steps, skittering aside as the veranda's storm sliders slammed shut behind her, leaving her feeling stupid for being afraid of doors. Turning her back on the shrine she stalked across the stone. Suzume yipped in surprise as she seized him by the sleeve and hauled him physically from the courtyard as his fox-fires hurried after them.

"Woman! _Woman_ , slow down!"

" _No!"_ She bit back in a vicious snarl without so much as a backward glance, "I don't want to be anywhere near that… that _shrine!_ "

She spat the word like it was a filthy thing and as Suzume resisted she pulled harder, happy to drag him if necessary. She wanted to put as much space between them and Sengen as physically possible. Lin chewed on all the foul things she wanted to fling at the goddess and managed to just barely keep them in check. They were still on the shrine grounds and it was a very stupid idea to bad mouth a God so close to their house. Lin could still feel the gnawing spiteful pressure between her shoulders. The memory alone scared her stupid because it reminded her far too much of the crushing force the Goddess had unleashed on them at the rocks that day long ago.

Lin startled as they flushed a lesser kami from the shadows beside them; whatever it was chittered at them angrily, startling her with its shrill voice. Lin loosed a strangled gasp and whirled toward it with bared teeth. The bright blade of Umi's knife in her hand as the whole world seemed to teem with danger. Her heart flew up into her throat as terror swelled inside her chest, squeezing it to the point of pain. Then she tipped on her feet, dropping the knife as the night swam for a moment.

Suzume caught her, holding her tightly as she fought him.

" _Hayashimi, be still!_ "

Lin sagged in his arms, struggling to catch her breath.

"It is alright beloved! Breathe! Nothing will hurt you!"

He was right. There weren't any monsters coming to get them. Gods above her heart was pounding at the inside of her head and she couldn't think. Tears pricked her eyes as the kits stirred in her stomach; probably in protest over being crushed between them. One of them kicked their father soundly, making the fox flinch. At once he was holding her even more tightly, turning his face in her shoulder as he trembled. As he did his fox-fires winked out of existence with tiny brittle pops

"Forgive me! Forgive me, beloved, that was _not_ at all what I anticipated! Had I known I would not have had you come!"

At once her hand tightened on the back of his robe.

"I go where you go, you stupid, _stupid_ fox!" She spat back in a growl.

He breathed a shaky laugh, easing his grip as he smoothed his hands over her hair. Damn, him… He knew she loved it when he did that. She leaned into his touch, letting the tension run out of her body as she pillowed her cheek on his shoulder, breathing in his sweet spicy scent.

"That is all I wish for, beloved," Suzume agreed in that quiet voice that belonged to only her, tickling her temple with the gentle whisper of his lips.

"You are my courage. You are my strength. I am lost without you. But selfish as I am, I cannot ask you to risk our children for my weakness."

As he kissed the crown of her head Lin ground her teeth. She tried to think of something to say to contradict him. She wanted to yell and argue and prove him wrong. But she couldn't. He was right and they both knew it. Despite the rocky road their relationship had traveled over the last few months their lives had been extremely boring compared to her past. Never once had she balked at the idea of raising her children under Onsen's roof. Keeping a bath house for humans was not nearly as dangerous an occupation as it had been at Yubaba's bath house. Now it seemed all that was about to change.

Lin frowned and nuzzled her nose into the front of Suzume's kimono, letting him continue to smooth his hands over her hair. But the tension climbed right back into her shoulders as the insides of her head churned away. Something was going to happen; Lin could feel it with certainty of the premonition deep inside her bones. Manami's appearance was proof enough of that. Still, Lin couldn't get the look out fear on Segen's face out of her head. What could possible frighten an elder goddess? What did she mean when she said their world had gone mad?

With another heavy sigh she drew back, ready to pepper Suzume with questions only to find his face was smeared with mud. Lin blinked and blinked some more. There were twigs in his hair. From the very tip of one a leaf wafted in the frigid night air. She frowned in confusion.

"Why are covered in mud and leaves?"

Suzume snorted, frowning at the thick brush beside them.

"You threw me into that hedge not more than a second ago."

Lin blinked, "I did?"

Suzume struggled to remain annoyed as the corners of his mount quirked.

"You did."

"Oh. Um. Sorry."

The fox chuckled merrily, sweeping his charcoal black hands over her face, smoothing away the frown tightening the burn scars on her face. Lin insides shivered with pleasure as the warm happy sound vibrated inside her chest. Again her heart tightened, thrilling up into her throat and making her dizzy. But this time because Suzume was gathering her against him again, leaning in to kiss her so slowly she stood on her tip toes to impatiently claim what was hers. His hands slid into her hair, cradling the back of her neck as he matched her enthusiasm.

Suddenly she was insatiable hungry and not for food. Lin tightened her hand on the front of his kimono until her knuckles ached, ready to throw him back into the brush and follow because it has been such a _damned long time_ since last they were one! The silly human taboo against it might have rubbed off on her mate but there was no reason why they couldn't even though she was very pregnant.

"Not here, Hayashimi," the fox cautioned breathlessly.

Lin wasn't convinced.

She could tell from the firefly flicker in his eyes that here was indeed a possibility. "Why?" She rumbled sensuously. "What's wrong with here?"

The glance he sent toward the shrine was more than enough to cool her insides.

With all kinds of disappointment stamping around in the pit of her belly she let the fox tow her out of the dark gardens toward the warm yellow streaming across the pond in from of the house where the humans lived.

Firelight flickered beyond the paper shutters and a curl of wood smoke from the flue atop the roof. The smell was enticing given the bitter chill biting at her bare feet. The front door was open; probably Keiichi in his haste to get inside. Lin blinked as Suzume urging her toward the house. Planting herself like a stone on the front step, Lin glared at her mate as he rounded with a moue, tugging impatiently on her only hand.

"I want to go home," She grated between her teeth.

He blinked as an irritated frown pulled his lips down.

"Then go."

She pulled him the opposite direction, stamping her foot with authority.

"I want you to come with me. Now."

Here her mate softened, turning to put his hands on her face.

"Hayashimi, I cannot. My work is not yet done this night."

Unspoken apology was bright in his golden eyes even as his frown remained. Angrily she looked away, struggling with that truth even as he began smoothing her hair. Again she wanted to argue but couldn't find anything to refute him.

Then Keiichi choked and coughed distantly.

"Don' breathe it, y'dumbshit." Amano cautioned as if annoyed, "S'waste o' damn good sake."

Lin looked up sharply at the sound of the human's voice.

"S-s-sorry…!" The young priest rasped.

"S'alright, Kei," Amano returned mildly, sounding unusually maternal, "Just sit an' get warm. You'll stop shakin' in a second."

At once Lin pushed by Suzume, down the hall and standing on the threshold of the expansive tatami matted sitting room. Firelight glinted off the delicate cream paper on the walls, illuminating the ancient treasures that decorated the interior. Tart wood smoke rose off the blaze set into the recessed hearth at the heart of the room, lifting in heavy acrid curls up to fill the rafters. Shadows flickered in the dark nooks and crannies as intent beady black eyes stared at them from the corners. Seated in front of a sketch book with wide eyes Kai sat entirely engrossed in his work. The youngling was drawing the tiny masks of the curious lesser kami with such furious concentration. Beside him and muffled from head to toe in warm navy robes, Goshiro listed drowsily on an arm rest holding a sake cup in danger of spilling.

Sitting beside his grandfather and pale as a sheet of Kai's paper, Keiichi was holding out a sake cup anxiously waiting for it to be full. It shook so violently Amano was forced to take it from the man's hands. Calmly and without question Amano filled and put the cup on the lacquered tray between them. Keiichi knocked it back in a single sip and held it out for more. Again Amano obliged. Lin didn't miss the shrewd glance the broken nosed human shot at Keiichi, studying the obvious. As Keiichi choked again on the liquor Amano slapped him on the back, taking his cup before it could spill. The slap turned to a steady sympathetic hand as Keiichi bent over his up-tucked knees staring with a haunted expression into the brightly crackling fire.

All this Lin watched before discovering she was shaking with fury. She didn't realize until now just how angry she was at Amano for abandoning them to Maboru. He was a friend. Not only that, he knew how much they depended on him. Her anger peeked as the human didn't look up; didn't acknowledge at all that she was there; whether out of fear or shame Lin wasn't sure. But he knew she was there. She was sure of it because as she continued to glare at his back Amano's hands shook ever so slightly.

Kai was the first to see her.

He startled and dropped his colored pencil, splaying out on the floor to reach over and insistently pat his father's knee.

"Hey, dad! Dad!" The boy hissed beneath his breath even though she could hear him, "Dad, its Miss Lin. Don't you want to ask her if she's seen Kiri?"

"Oh! Hello, O-kami-sama!"

Goshiro roused, blinking up at them with foggy eyes so very different from the hawk's gaze Lin had witnessed before. The old priest held out his saucer with trembling hands, obviously making them an offering.

"Please forgive my rudeness. I am so very please at how full my house is tonight. Thank you for your blessings. Thank you for coming. Please join us."


	37. Chapter 37

**HAKU**

Before any could call after him he produced his ring of keys. In seconds he was up the opposite flight of stairs and into Origa's dance studio. He left himself in through the back door. It smelled very strongly of wood polish, a scent he associated with Onsen. The dark interior was blissfully quiet, empty. Standing there in perfect stillness he took a deep quelling breath then headed for the locker room.

The flickering lights took a second to blink alive, illuminating the aluminum and concrete room as he tore the clothes from his body. These he tossed onto the floor along with his glasses. Naked he stepped into the middle of the three shower stalls at the end of the room, drawing the thin plastic curtain. Turning the water to the hottest setting he could stand he drowned himself in the soap dispensed from a plastic canister attached to the wall. Haku scrubbed himself until filth ran off his skin in rivers. But even as warmth soaked into his skin, even as the powdery stink of human perfumes diffused into the steaming air, he could still smell the blood on his skin.

Slowly he knees began to shake as all that had happened sank in.

Losing Chouchin; nearly being eaten by spiders; being overrun by Gods; all this and he had to go back to work and dance in just on short day. When that day dawned he would be human and spend all day long worrying about money, clothes, and food. Then at night he would spend every second listening for spiders and worrying whether or not any of them would last till dawn. Not surprisingly his legs folded. He sat on the cold tiles feeling utterly exposed. Exhausted, aching, and ashamed of himself, Haku cried quietly beneath the solid hiss of the shower's spray praying that no one heard.

Unfortunately his wish was not granted.

"Stop it," Kubi muttered over the shower.

Haku jolted, blinking through the spray as he realized she was sitting opposite him on the other side of the curtain. Her back was to him and he could see the fabric of her green kimono through the thin plastic. Slowly it was becoming soaked with the water spilling beneath. Mortified by the invasion, his temper got the better of him.

"I demand at least a small moment's solitude!" He snarled furiously, slapping his palm against the wet tiles, "Go at once! _Go!_ "

"No."

Her matter-of-fact answer came back so swift Haku found himself gaping.

"I can't stand that sound," She continued huskily, "I can hear it all the way downstairs and it makes me want to _break_ things. I can't go anywhere else so unless you want me to pull the chairs apart leg by leg I suggest you get a hold of yourself."

Haku blinked and blinked again as inside his head he saw terrible visions of smashed furniture. It was enough to sober him.

"Are you done yet? Your towel is getting wet."

Glancing over her shoulder Haku found a green towel folded in the exact spot she had been sitting. Switching off the water he dragged it under the curtain he dried himself only to realize he had not brought any clothes. Instantly his face flooded with heat and he spend an embarrassed moment wondering what to do.

"Are you there Kubi?" Haku called firmly, trying not to betray himself.

"Of course I'm still here," she called back peevishly, "Where else can I go?"

Through the translucent curtain he nervously watched her approach. She was an intense blot of green that slowly bled its way through the steam.

"I… uh… I have forgotten to bring clothes."

She snorted.

"I noticed. Not that you have anything to wear. Here."

Her pale hand flashed atop the curtain bar draping an emerald green garment inside. Gingerly Haku took it, pulling it over and holding it up. It was a long men's kimono of the softest silk, padded with extra layers for extra winter warmth. A subtle pattern of bamboo wove its way through the exterior fabric unlike anything he had ever seen. It was God-work, there was no doubt because the inside the aged silk was painted with a misty picture of green mountains footed by a crescent bay in which a red torii gate floated amidst waves like a boat. The image seemed to come alive for it was rendered with such skill. It whispered against his skin smelling strongly of wood smoke and sea salt as he pulled it on. Haku frowned as he belted it around his waist all the while fighting with his hair.

"Where did this come from, Kubi?"

"I made it a long time ago for my third husband," she returned almost impatiently, "Come on, then, let's see."

Haku blinked. _Third_ husband? Before he could ask he cringed back as she yanked the curtain open, stirring up all his exasperation.

"Am I to have no privacy then!?"

"No. I'm lonely and so are you."

Again he had no words for her as she spit the truth at him. Her kimono was gaping at the front revealing the beads of water on her bare skin. Somehow she had found a shower before him. Realizing he was staring his face began to burn as she looked him up and down with a considering frown.

"Green is not your color, you know. It makes your eyes too bright and your skin too pale. It's makes you look too Godish."

Sputtering soundlessly he strode by to angrily confront the mess he had made of his personal affects. His shirt and pants hung in strips as he lifted them. Upon extracting the thin fold of money from the pocket he sighed and threw down the bills in exasperation for they were stained with soaked blood. So was his coat. Scooting the ruined rags into a pile he carefully lifted his gray cloak and glasses from the mess. It was the only thing that survived unscathed. These he carefully stowed in the front fold of his kimono. Everything else would have to be burned, shoes included. Once again he had nothing: no money; no clothes; no coat. Again his temper snapped as Kubi once again lit her pipe.

"Must you smoke!?"

"Yes," Kubi returned mildly, "Before you throw your usual tantrum you should know the fumes are the only thing that masks the smell of spider blood. Why do you think I smoke all the time? They can smell the blood of their kind and they'll follow it right back here. Unfortunately you stink like spider blood so now this whole place stinks too so hold your breath."

As he opened his mouth to question she blew a cloud of cloying vapor right in his face. Unfortunately Haku breathed it right in and crumbled to a seat on the bench coughing paroxysmally. Unapologetic, Kubi thumped him on the back, muttering around her pipe stem as she continued to smoke.

"I told you to hold your breath, didn't I? Gods, your hair is such a mess. You've got tangles the size of my fist."

She tousled it, making him fight off her hands as he gasped for breath.

"For the love of the sun! I just want to brush out the tangles! Are you like this _every_ time someone is nice to you!?"

Kubi was holding up an ivory comb and glaring at him like he was an idiot. Exhausted and just glad to be sitting, Haku crossed his arms and submitted, try to breathe shallowly as she continued to fume. At least he could no longer smell the blood. Like Kubi he did not have anywhere else to go except downstairs to cook for the Gods. That would require he steal from the kitchen. He squirmed miserably at the thought.

"Hold still," Kubi commanded.

For all her hash words she was surprisingly gentle, slowly picking out tangles Haku probably could never have undone by himself. Kubi continued to brush his hair long after the tangles were gone. Haku was surprised to find having his hair brushed was more than soothing. Without knowing it he found himself leaning his head from side to side as she slowly slid the teeth of the comb through his smooth hair. Unfortunately the angry words Kubi and Aki threw at each other earlier came seeping into the emptiness inside his head. Floating atop them all was a name he did not know or understand. Slowly he realized he would never again have a moment such as this.

"For a moment there you almost seemed to be enjoying yourself," Kubi sighed in exasperation, "But now I can hear you thinking a hole in your head. You gonna stew all night or talk about what's bothering you?"

Haku took a deep settling breath and decided upon an indirect route.

"In the third level of Shitamatchi the kami keep a bat."

Kubi's hands stilled.

"Bah-Fuh."

It was not a question and he continued knowing he held her interest.

"Yes. They say she knows everything but her wisdom comes at a price. She wrote the answers to my questions in my blood and I barely escaped with my life. I asked her how to wake Chihiro and Bah-Fuh told me there was nothing I could do. I now understand and accept her answer. But that was not all she foretold. I left with something else I had not expected."

"What did she tell you?"

Kubi spoke hesitantly as if unsure of whether she wanted to know.

"Bah-Fuh told me I will die at Garuda's hands."

Her pipe clattered on the floor spilling red hot ashes at their feet. When she did not pick it up Haku turned to find the God-woman watching them smolder. She might have been wearing her mask again for her features were devoid of feeling. From this close he was reminded that her eyes were not just colorless. The color had been burned out of them, ripped from her along with most of her godliness. Her eyes burned him with their intensity as finally they turned upon him.

"Garuda is dead."

Haku blinked. Dead? The way the God woman spoke of him that did not appear to be the case. Dropping his gaze he stared at the glowing points of red scattered on the floor and tried not to see the glittering eyes moving in the trees. As he did his shoulder tightened, making him lean forward until his elbows were braced on his knees. Fear was winding its way through his insides as he realized something. Bah-Fuh foretold the spiders, had she not? She foretold that only Chihiro could break her own curse. What if it all was true?

"Aki does not seem to think that makes a difference."

"What does Aki know!?" Kubi snapped back.

He knew not what else to do. He knew not what he intended anymore. His devious plan to wheedle truths from Kubi had slid through his fingers. Why he had tried to exercise such guile was a mystery for he was incapable of such things. And so he told the truth. He could not disguise the fear in his voice as he spoke next; the possibility that it was true was far too real.

"I am a stranger here. I do not know the story of this place though it is long and old. I am afraid, Kubi-san, so very afraid that I have made a grave mistake by entangling myself in that which I do not understand. I must to know. Tell me who Garuda was."

"What will you give me if I tell you?"

At once he wilted at the hardness in her voice, dropping his face into his hands in defeat because this was exactly what he had been hoping to avoid.

"Kubi-san… You know I have nothing to give."

But then words poured out of her, all of them truth but not the ones he had expected. With his head in his hands Haku was bound to listen.

"I had a kimono business once," Kubi began in her matter-of-fact way.

"My kind was never shy of humans. Over hundreds of years we set up a front of willing business partners. We wove and dyed the silk and sewed each kimono by hand. These we sent with our humans to market. Nothing can compare with God-made silk and we made a solid profit: food for our bellies; oil for our lamps; wood for the stove."

"But when they built the cotton mills no one wanted kimono. Slowly our human's grew old and the young one's moved away to the city for better less terrifying prospects. The military moved in and the war began; the first and then the second. Humans forgot the Gods. I remember watching the ships sail in and out of the harbor. One of those tankers brought my third husband."

"He said that too, you know. He told me the first night we spent together that he had nothing to give me. I've married two humans before but neither was like my third husband. He was blind from birth. No family. No trade. He made his living as a wandering masseuse but there were fewer inns along the road now. Like us he'd become obsolete. But he must've had some God in him somewhere, because he gave me a son."

"I left the spirit world for my husband so our son could have a human life. My third husband was sickly and there were human doctors in town. So I took my favorite human and gave up being a God to be his wife. I wasn't the first and not the last. Our kind has been abandoning the other side for thousands of years now. Our neighbors thought I was lazy for making our maid do all the cooking. Back then I couldn't light a fire. I couldn't cook. But I worked harder than any wife. I made a living for us by my loom and my husband was proud and our neighbors jealous."

"I remember waking up that morning. August 6th 1945. It wasn't too early but it was terribly hot. He was sitting on the step with our son looking at the sky. The boy was about five and showing none of his father's illness and none of my unusual flexibility. I had hope for him. I had hope for all of us. Word had gotten out about my work and there was a market for small silks. Then my husband said he heard a plane which was strange because the military didn't usually fly over this time of day."

Haku jolted as Kubi smoothed her hands over his hair. Looking up he found her standing over him looking through him with her strange silver eyes.

"You remind me of him. I think that's why I'm so mean to you. He was just as stubborn as you are; just a proud and just as weak. You make me miss him too much."

Here her face fell and she was looking over his head, looking far, far away as if seeing something so very terrible it sent her to a seat at his feet as if she could hide from her past. Whatever she saw robbed her of voice for in the barest whisper she continued.

"They died that morning. I watched them burn when the bomb dropped. They crumbled to ash in my hands."

She held out her pale shaking fingers as if she did not understand.

"They all died. All the humans died. They all died except for us."

Hunkered over her heels Kubi hugged her knees as her voice began to regain its strength. Her eyes went round and wide with awe.

"Before I met Garuda I thought I knew what beautiful was. I was wrong. He wasn't kami but he was certainly a God. I don't know where he came from, probably brought over from the mainland by some monk to be enshrined in a Dharma temple hidden high in the hills. His wings were bright sunlight in a world of soot and fire. His voice was music when all I could hear were screams."

"I loved him the moment I saw him. He pulled me out of the ashes. He put a tattered coat on my shoulders and held an umbrella over my head when the black rain began. He took my hand in his and led me through the endless maze of rubble. As we went he gathered more and more of us. Hideous, lowly, and maimed: it didn't matter to Garuda, he took us all. He became a God among Gods and we loved him. We walked in his golden shadow along forgotten human roads until the world was green again. But even then we were lost."

"No one survived unscathed. The bombs ripped us from our world. They left us exposed in the wake of catastrophe the humans had made of us. Even as our burns healed we were marked. You could smell the human fire on us still. We were turned away at every crossing to the Spirit World. Kyoto chased us away with spears; Nagoya and Shizuoka wouldn't even open their gates. Our own people forsake us. They wouldn't even listen to Garuda because he was an _outsider_ , a God not of this land. That was just as bad in their eyes as being unwhole. But Garuda wouldn't let us curse them. He cautioned us to forgive and be patient."

"Most of our kami didn't have the strength for patience. They just gave up. Too gentle and fragile, they faded away under the weight of despair and exhaustion. There were barely enough offerings at shrines along the road to sustain us. Garuda and I were the only ones left by the time we reached Tokyo. It looked little better than Hiroshima, but we heard a rumor that there was a place that had opened its gates and was welcoming all kinds. It was called Shitamachi."

Here Kubi paused with a derisive sneer, shifting herself to a more comfortable sitting position as she reached for her pipe. She lit a strange wad of tobaccos and herbs on a still glowing ember and pulled long curls of smoke from the stem. All Haku could do was stare at her uncomprehending as Kubi pulled another long curl from her pipe, blowing right at him.

""No one survived unscathed; not even Garuda. What he saw in the aftermath changed him. I didn't realize how much until we got to Shitamachi. The Second and third levels were completely blocked off. All those high Gods in their high towers could care less what happened below so long as food kept coming through the portal. The first level, if you can even imagine, was worse back then. The Gods called it Jigoku (1) and rightly so. It nearly ate us alive."

Haku tried not to remember the hells the first level held. He tried not to imagine about how it could have been any worse.

"I hide his feathers under a sack cloth. We were both so dirty and tired for travel no one looked at us twice. But Garuda was moved to horror when we walked through Shitamachi's gate. Even in the crater left by the bomb; even as our friend died all around us; he had been nothing but calm. But until that moment he had been hiding how much everything affected him. I never really thought much of that dharma junk he was always going on about. I think his faith broke in that moment. He reached the end of his strength and he just stopped."

Kubi shifted again, shoving the bloody remnants of his clothes further away from them with her bare foot before blowing another lung full of smoke over the rags.

"It was up to me from then on. I took his hand and steered him away from propositioning spiders and struggled not to let him get pushed into the stupid rut with all its black snapping bugs. We didn't have any food or money so we slept in the street. I was scared stupid, that's what I was. I was determined to get us out of there as soon as possible. I was willing to follow him back to his world if necessary, this world certainly wasn't for him. Unfortunately that night I saw him kill for the first time."

Sitting cross legged now Kubi began brushing her hair as if none of this was real, as if it was just a story. Haku could not fathom her calm. It made him doubt the truth of her words; it made him wonder if she could lie like he could.

"We woke up to screaming and this dumb oni came dragging this spider woman down the alley to where we were hiding. Garuda didn't even flinch. He just sat there staring at the demon like he didn't understand."

Kubi rapped out her pipe onto the clothes pile as her eyes flashed with fury.

"I was so angry at him! After all his talk about compassion he was just going to sit back and watch some poor God-girl get raped and murdered! Not me… Not me… I'd always had an unusual talent when it came to males soI stretched my neck out as far as I could and sucked half the life out of that oni before he caught me by the throat and dragged me into the open."

She drew her lips into a grim line and rubbed her neck as if it still hurt.

"Before it could break my neck Garuda was standing in all his gold glory. He must've startled the oni because it dropped me. They stood there staring at each other for a stupid moment then Garuda put up his wings asked it a fuckin' question. _'Will you change for the better?'_ That's what he asked! The goddamn oni just blinked at him like he'd been dazzled. He said no. No, he wouldn't change. And it was the truth."

Kubi made a cutting motion with her hand. It flashed white beneath the fluorescent lights making him jump back. He was so caught up in her story he had not realized how close he had leaned towards her.

"Garuda cut its head off with a feather, one brilliant golden feather plucked from his wing. Blood got on his face and he didn't even wipe it away. He watched the red run out all over the ground the way someone might watch a river. Then he looked at me with this terrible expression of awe like he'd seen some eternal truth in all that gore. That look sacred me more that death itself because it swallowed him whole. He disappeared into it and after that everything changed."

"Garuda started collecting Jigoku kami; all kinds; everyone was welcome. The spiders loved him. They left the brothels in droves. So did the tsukumogami; the little creatures that until now were ignored and left as prey for black mushi to eat. They installed him in an old tea house like some kind of idol. Kami were desperate for something anything to help them through the chaos after the bombings.

"We used to be worshiped and revered. We used to own the mountains and the sky and the sea. Now we've had our world ripped from us. We're crammed into the tiny pockets that're all that is left of the spirit world; oppressed and cast out by our own people. I suppose it made sense that they listened to Garuda even though he was an outsider. People will do anything for hope."

"He was still the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen, a bit of the sun shining in hell. He said we held the power to transform hell into paradise. He told us every being had a place in paradise: whole or otherwise. He said we all had a chance to save our world. The solution was simple: change our minds for the better. Anyone who would not be changed had no place in paradise."

"The Jigoku Kami took his word and went into the streets of Shitamachi soliciting answers from any God they could ask. We can't lie. We have to tell the truth. And if there's evil in our hearts we have to admit it. They killed anyone who answered no. And Garuda? Garuda who had always taught patience and kindness even when confronted by violence; he did nothing to stop them."

"After they purged the first level the Jigoku kami set siege to the second gate. Shitamachi retaliated calling us traitors and fools for being taken by the lies of an outsider. Shitamachi promised to kill every one of us for betraying our race. I'm one of the last alive from that time."

Kubi took her pipe from her mouth and stared blankly at the embers inside.

"The fighting intensified. The sky went black with smoke and fire. Distantly I could hear screams and shouts from the fighting. It rained black ash. And as our world fell down around us for once I had him all to myself. He was sitting at the window looking up at the second level like a bird might stare out between the bars of a cage."

"I'm not proud of it but I threw myself at his feet and begged him to tell the Jigoku kami to stop. If anyone could get them to stop it was him. He looked at me with the same serene sureness he always showed. Do you know what he told me? He said the spirit world is dying. He said there is no future for the kami. He said those who cannot change will not change. He said it was better that we die now trying to become more than to be crushed beneath the feet of those who cling to the impossible."

"And do you know what I told him? I told him I loved him. It was the truth, I did love him. His beautiful gold face fell like a star. His hands shook like any other man's as he reached for me. I kissed him as he lifted me in his arms. I kissed him with these lips and pulled his breath away."

Gingerly Kubi touched her mouth as her eyes brimmed with tears.

"I still don't know exactly why. It wasn't out of loyalty or anything so stupid; I just wanted the killing to stop. In the end I think it was because I didn't believe him. I wanted him to convince me the way he'd convinced the others. I wanted so badly to believe him. But when his hands shook I realized he was just like the rest of us."

Kubi bowed her head into her hands as her shoulders began to shake.

"I hated him so much for reminding me he wasn't a God among Gods after all. He had no right to tell our future or dictate our fate. He wasn't even kami so how could he know what we were capable of? It didn't matter how much I loved him; if he lived we all would've died; so I killed him; one life for a thousand."

Haku stared at her trying to absorb everything she said.

There was no way he could, not now, not for a long while.

Suddenly Kubi was right. Watching someone cry was an impossible thing. The helplessness it inspired was unendurable. So Haku pulled her into his arms and held her close, gritting his teeth against the sadness overwhelming his heart. He ached and trembled with the strength of it as her breath hushed against his shoulder, tickling his neck with the frost of her lips and the searing cold of her tears.

"Don't worry, Nigihayami. You don't have to give me anything."

Awkwardly she drew back dashing at her cheeks as if ashamed and looking at anything but him. The resemblance struck a cord of affinity deep in his heart. He himself had done exactly the same thing on so many occasions. Haku was not sure why he put his hands on her shoulders in that moment. Perhaps it was because he was full of such grief he had to do something to be rid of it else he was quite sure he would die from sorrow. Kubi glanced up at him sharply, furrowing her brow as he slid his hands to her face, tipping it back as he leaned down toward her. She gripped his wrists to the point of pain as he kissed not her lips but instead each of her closed eyes. He kept her face in his hands as he drew back, letting his eyes carry the weight of his promise as finally she looked up at him with a conflicted expression.

"I do want to give you something, Kubi. I give you my word that I will never close my eyes. My home is your home; my food is your food so long as I draw breath."

She flashed a brittle smile as she ran her hands up to cover his.

"I would've settled for a proper kiss."

Haku smiled politely while sitting back slowly.

"Chihiro would not approve."

The tension between them broke as Kubi sighed dramatically and sat back onto her heels with a pouty moue.

"I hope she appreciates you. Otherwise I might spirit you away for myself."

Haku snorted mildly.

"She does."

Kubi picked up her pipe and she stood inspecting the stem as Haku stooped to truss the pile of rags that comprised all his possessions into his only coat.

"You never did tell me how she came by that curse."

Haku came to stillness as he picked up the bloody bundle. It was hard to remember that day without having his throat tighten painfully. He was forced to clear it before he could speak.

"A deity of the ocean placed it upon her to punish me for asking to be mortal."

With that he strode from the locker room to escape the memory only to find Kubi ahead of him holding open the door. Her silver eyes were pricks of light in the gloom, shrewd and sharp as they considered his admission.

"You should get her to go back to wherever it happened."

Haku blinked, not feeling the biting cold in the slighted as his feet stuck to the frozen landing outside. Impatiently he waited for her to close the door and join him on the landing.

"Why is that?"

Kubi paused to light her pipe again, striking a wooden match and proving she was no longer entirely kami. The embers lit her face up in eerie reds as she drew on them slowly before blowing the cloud over them as if for good measure.

"A curse is often a journey in disguise, Nigihayami. The only way for a journey to end is to find your way home."

* * *

 **CHIHIRO**

She stared at the last words on the page long and hard.

How long she stared at them she wasn't sure.

Finally she saved the Word file and closed her laptop.

Stretching in her chair Chihiro stood and found herself a little light headed. Stiff too, especially her legs. The paint on the wall under her desk was beginning to get thin where she propped her feet up. Her stomach gurgled irritably, reminding her she hadn't eaten anything since Kou served her breakfast.

Glancing at the clock on the side table she realized it was 2:00 AM. Too late to be early; too early to be late; funny, her first instinct was to cal Kou. He didn't have a phone number and she wasn't about to wake up Shouta. She couldn't call her mom either. Yuko wouldn't be coherent and her dad would sleep right through the call. She couldn't call Lydia. Theirs wasn't that kind of relationship. She definitely wasn't going to call Kaatama. Yuck.

That was it. That was everyone in her tiny little world.

All that same she just had to tell someone.

Shifting her eyes to the bed she came to the side and watched Michio sleep. Her friend's acid green hair fanned out on the pillows but her face was hidden beneath the thick blue comforter. Chihiro was kinda glad otherwise she would've stood there stared at the bruises thinking all kinds of dark angry thoughts. When Michi turned up at the doorway halfway through the night with red eyes and a snuffly nose what else could Chihiro say but yes? Michi just wanted to sleep while she worked. She didn't want to be alone and Chihiro couldn't blame her. So she felt really bad for sitting on the edge of the bed and waking her up.

"Michi?" Chihiro hushed, "Can I tall you something?"

"Nnnn…" The comforter stirred, "Huh?"

"Can I tell you something?" Chihiro repeated in a shuddering voice.

"Wha'd you say? Sorry… I was dead asleep."

Michio surfaced from under the blankets blinking groggily. She paused, frowning.

"You okay?"

Suddenly Chihiro realized she was shaking.

"Yeah, m'fine. I just wanted to say it out loud, you know?"

Michi's face screwed up in confusion.

"Chihi-chan, you're not making sense."

"Sorry… Sorry, it's kinda a big deal."

Chihiro took a deep shuddering breath as she blinked back tears. She wasn't sad, not at all. It just felt like this huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. For some strange reason it felt like she could finally move forward again. Whatever weird hazy wall that'd been put in front of her by what happened back in Kumomi was gone. It didn't matter if she never knew for sure what happened. She'd written her own ending.

"It's done."

Chihiro smiled as she sat back and straightened her shoulders baffled by the sudden feeling of freedom.

"What's done?"

Michio rubbed her eyes then winced, gingerly touching the purples and blues.

"The sequel," Chihiro continued in a quiet rush, "It's done. I just finished it."

"Really?"

That woke Michio up and Chihiro laughed ruefully.

"It didn't end the way I thought things would. It's really sad actually."

"Wha'dya mean?"

Michio was sitting up against the headboard blinking in sleepy confusion. So Chihiro took a deep breath and explained as best she could. Now that it was done it felt like it was okay to talk about it.

"You know all of this?" Chihiro waved her hand at Satako's drawings, "In the story it's real; _really_ real. But I stopped believing when I was little, you know? In the story I buy an onsen in the middle of nowhere like I actually did. But it turns out this bath house belongs to a witch too. She's a really nice old lady. Then something bad happened at Yubaba's bath house, so bad that the kami have to come into our world. Some of them don't make it."

Chihiro looked up at the white dragon floating on the wall over her desk. She blinked as she found herself remembering the way Kou flowed and danced in the wind the first night they met in Shinjuku. No wonder she was falling for him so hard.

"Lots of bad stuff happens after that. Lots of good stuff too. But in the end of the story I get cursed and I forget everything. I leave them all behind without knowing it."

By now she realized Michio was staring at her with a worried expression.

"Sounds kinda depressing."

"Gee, thanks!" Chihiro snorted, "That's 'casue that's not the end. There's gonna be a third book, okay? I just haven't written it yet."

Michio wasn't paying attention. She was looking past her to the laptop.

"Can I read the second one first?"

"Maybe. Maybe not."

She was being a brat now to get Michi back for ignoring her.

"There's a lot of personal stuff in there. I dunno if I even want to publish it."

That was a lie. Chihiro already told Satako she wanted her to do the illustrations. Why the hell would she have spent all this time writing it if she didn't want to publish it?

"What're you gonna do with it?"

Chihiro sighed.

"Nothing for now. I'm just gonna let it sit for a while. I'm just glad it's over."

"What do you mean by over?" Michio asked uncertainly.

"I mean done," Chihiro amended, "I'm just glad it's done. No more shrinks. No more therapy. I wrote the ending to my own store and now I can get on with my life."

They sat in awkward silence for a long moment. Chihiro marveled over the fact that even this felt new. She'd spent her whole life with Michio and now they seemed like strangers. Then her stomach growled petulantly; Michi laughed, and everything was the same again.

"Wanna go hit up that 24 hour curry place in Shibuya?"

"Yeah," Chihiro tried not to drool, "I could totally go for some pork katsu."

"I hope that cute waiter's there. He was totally checking out your ass last time."

 _"Michio!"_

"What? I'm just saying…"

* * *

 **Notes**

(1) Jigoku is the Japanese word for hell.


	38. Chapter 38

**LIN**

They accepted Goshiro's invitation and acted like nothing was wrong. Had they been back at the Onsen Lin might've been able to forget for a moment that anything was wrong. But something was wrong. Someone was missing. They all knew it. And they all were waiting for that someone to return home. So Lin made the best of it. At least her feet were finally warm.

Only mortal fire could roast your toes this well.

Stretching out her legs she put her feet as close as she dared.

Lin jumped when the flames popped or snapped.

Suzume laughed at her every time she did.

Amano could be charming when he needed to be and they winnowed away the time like old friends, boring Kai to distraction until the boy fell asleep with his cheek pillowed on his sketch book. The old priest drifted off as well, listing against his arm rest until he all but disappeared into the sagging mountain of blue cloth. It was hard to stay mad at someone when they were spinning yarns about the goings on of town, especially when it took your mind off of things. Human gossip was ridiculously normal: quarrels; trysts; cheats; and children. There was a lot of nonsense to catch up on.

It was close to dawn by the time Amano finally apologized.

The broken nosed human finally let a long stretch of silence fill the room to the rafters like smoke. By this time Lin had forgiven him, especially after seeing him last night. There was no way she could hold it against him, not after seeing the way he stared at the picture of his dead wife.

"M'sorry," he began in a thick voice while once again refusing to look at her, "I shouldn't've left. Turns out I'm a coward after all."

"You're not a coward," Lin snorted and it was the truth. No one who could face what the human had could be called a coward, "But Maboru _is_ a better cook."

Amano smirked ruefully, "Who'd y'think taught me how t'cook?"

Here he paused to nudge Keiichi upright. The young priest had quickly drunk himself into a stupor and now sat listing just like his grandfather. There was still seaweed in the poor thing's hair. Lin resisted the urge to go over and pick it out. She was sure he did not want to wake up to her standing over him. Lin had already groomed Suzume, adding the twigs and leaves to the fire. Amano's hazel eyes glinted silver in the warm light as he studied the young priest with a sober frown.

"Wanna tell me what happened? Keii's been pried wide open like a clam. Up t'now he's one of t'blindest people this town can boast."

"That is an apt description," Suzume agreed quietly, "Although according to his deity he has been given a _gift_."

He snorted. "Not much of a gift if y'ask me…"

Amano's brows drew together and his face tightened until the burn scars at his neck pulled. Reaching into the pocket of his leather jacket he began fiddling with the metal lighter he kept there, flicking it open and closed with his burned hand.

"Was she there?"

"Yeah," Lin nodded hesitantly, "They both were."

Amano tossed his head, staring at the ceiling and blinking rapidly to keep the sheen in his eyes at bay.

"Why _her_?! Why now after _all_ she's been through!?"

Lin appealed to Suzume silently for guidance only to discover the fox was looking away struggling similarly. It made her remember that Manami would've become Suzume's caretaker had she lived. They must've been close. This was going to be a hard conversation for both of them so Lin whispered hurriedly over the crackle of the fire.

"Look. Kiri should've died after Reika ripped the Forgotten out of her. She did die but not for long. Manami's the one that brought Kiri back, okay? But after that she stayed because O-Inari-sama told her to. Kiri's no good at magic but because of what happened she's really good at… um… _housing_ other things. It's the only way Manami can stick around."

"Why?" Amano demanded in a hoarse voice full of pain.

"She says it's to protect us."

Grimly Suzume nosed back to the conversation.

"Protect us from what?"

"I don't know," Lin muttered in exasperation.

"Spiders…" Keiichi mumbled, obviously dreaming badly, "So many _spiders_ …"

Amano nudged the young priest until he lapsed into silence, slowly overturning until he sprawled onto the floor to snore. As he did something small and metal fell from the front of his kimono. Lin and Suzume both cringed from the sight of the mirror even as Amano missed it entirely. Shooting a searching glance at his son, the broken nosed man turned back turned back to the conversation with a grim expression.

"Does Kiri know about all this?"

"Kind of," Lin admitted uncertainly, glancing again at the mirror.

Seeing the thing made her skin crawl.

"I think she's been putting it together for a while. That's why she's been acting so strange. I think that's why she's been avoiding you, not because she's mad or upset about all the rest of it."

Amano seemed incredibly relieved but his moment of elation was short.

"I think I've seen it… I thought maybe it was jus' a kami that'd taken a liking t'Kai. Sometimes at night I'd seen a shadow in t'hallway. I didnt want t'freak Kiri out so I didn' say anythin' but I got t'impression it was watchin' me."

Amano took a deep shuddering breath as if had galvanizing himself.

"Look. My wife is dead. Whatever that thing is it's something else. It's not my Manami. All I want is to be with Kiri. I just want to raise my kid and live as normal a life I can in this place. That's all I want."

"I hear you Tetsuo," Suzume cut in quietly, "I will pray that your wish be granted."

Keiichi woke with a strangled gasped, giving them all a terrible fright as he sat bolt upright with the mirror grasped in his hands.

" _Kiki-chan!"_

The pet name for his twin flew from his lips as he dropped the circle of silver and scrambled to gain his feet. Amano was already upright; roughly hauling the young priest to a stand; holding him up as Keiichi whirled and stumbled for the sliding screens. The humans ripped them open, startling Kai and Goshiro awake as the frozen air flooded in from outside. Dawn thawed the horizon though no warmth was left in the world. It threw pale threads of light on the small figure standing barefoot in the garden. Kiri was standing there as if somehow lost. Amano jumped down from windows and ran. Lin had to crane her necks to see around Suzume as he stood beside her.

"Babe! Oh, gods, babe, are you okay!?"

As Amano put his hands on her shoulders he flinched and yanked them back.

"H-holy shit! You're _freezing_!"

Lifting her eyes Kiri stared at him blankly. Grasping the hem of Suzume's kimono Lin wilted in relief as she caught sight of the shrine maiden's brown eye. The human wore the same far away haunted expression Keiichi'd been wearing earlier. At once she was quaking from head to two.

"I… I think I saw Hidé…"

Kiri's knees folded. Lin scrambled to her feet reaching thoughtlessly. It was an automatic reaction and Suzume had to hold her back otherwise Lin would've been out into the garden in seconds. But Amano already had Kiri, hoisting her up, turning away. The girl was a thin smudge of black, white, and red in his arms.

"W-where're you t-takin' her!?" Keiichi shouted from the sill.

"Away from here!" Amano barked back angrily, "Let's go, Kai!"

At once Kai was scrambling to get his things, spilling his pencils all over the floor. But the boy came up short, hesitating fearfully as Keiichi scrambled out of the window.

" _No!_ Please don't take her!"

The young priest landed hard in the bushes, fighting to free his heavy robes from the branches. He limped out into the garden reaching pleadingly. Amano rounded on him glaring viciously while still holding the unconscious woman closely.

"Oh, _now_ you want her! You threw her out, remember?! Your own sister! You have _no idea_ what she's been through! If you weren't a priest I'd break your _fuckin'_ face for t'shit you've pulled!"

Lin was pretty sure that had he not been holding Kiri Amano would've punched the young priest right in the face. Keiichi threw up his hands in supplication, shrinking from Amano as if anticipating violence. Kiri's brother was taller and heavier but he was a scholar not a brawler. He was a priest after all and probably couldn't defend himself worth a damned. As Lin took a step forward to intervene Suzume held her back. Mildly the fox watched the quarreling humans as if unconcerned.

"Let them sort this out for themselves, beloved."

Clutching his sketchbook like a shield Kai hovered on the sill before appealing back to them with a worry pinched face.

"Is Kiri okay?"

"She is only sleeping." Suzume assured him.

The lines on Kai's faced deepened.

"Dad's not really gonna hit Keiichi-san is he?"

Goshiro's lips drew into a thin line as he leaned forward struggling to see into the garden. Sleep must've done the old priest some good because the sharp edge was back in his colorless eyes.

"Not so long as he's carrying Kiri, I think. Come sit by me, my boy. Do not worry. The kami-sama will not let anything unfortunate happen."

Kai didn't look convinced as Lin snorted.

"What if I think Keiichi deserves a crack in the face?"

The corners of Goshiro's mouth quirked ever so slightly.

"Who am I to question the will of the Gods?"

Lin looked back into the garden as again the priest got in Amano's way.

"You're right!" Keiichi cried aloud, "You're right and I will let you pummel me bloody here and now to make amends!"

Something about the word brought Amano to stillness as more and more light climbed into the sky above them. It lit up Keiichi's face revealing his sincerity as he reached with shaking hands to remove his glasses before gesturing at his pale eyes.

"Look at me, Tetsuo. So much has changed. You know that. I know you can see it. I… I _see_ that she's going to need us both in the time to come. _Both_ of us, Tetsuo. So please don't take her away just now. I need her as much as she needs me."

Again Keiichi crept forward with outstretched arms. Gritting his teeth as if it hurt him physically, Amano gave Kiri over to her brother. The moment she was in his arms Keiichi sagged as his legs shook.

"Oh, she's _heavy!_ Quick, take her back! Take her back! I'm going to drop her!"

" _Damn it, Keii!"_ Amano half caught Kiri, "You're useless!"

He straightened, heading for the house with the red faced priest in his wake.

"Kai, get the front door!"

"Got it!" The boy shouted back; on his feet and sprinting down the hall.

As they went Suzume's attention fell on the circle of silver Keiichi left behind. The fox's gold eyes turned to sharp points of fire as the dawn light filled its surface. While he stared in fascination fox colors crept into his robe and his fingers twitched. A shadow passed over the old priest's serene expression as he watched Suzume from the corners of his eyes. He tossed the corner of his indigo robe over the mirror hiding it from sight. Lin looked back and forth between them not knowing what the hell was going on.

"Do not be tempted, my old friend." Goshiro counseled quietly.

Blinking the fox made an irritated moue and smoothed his kimono unnecessarily.

"You need not worry, priest. I am learning not to meddle in that which is hers."

"How very wise of you, Suzume-sama."

Goshiro smiled roguishly and his eyes disappeared into wrinkles. Suzume glared at the old man before tossing a hand towards the main shrine.

"Do you know what that was all about?"

"No. Unfortunately I do not. O-Sengen-sama no longer speaks to me."

Here the old human sighed heavily as he collected the mirror into his hands.

"She grows further from us until sometimes I worry if she hears us at all."

Suzume frowned, fretting again with his sleeves.

"I hear you, priest, even if she does not."

The old human smiled gratefully only to pause. Something moved on the silver surface of the disk. Goshiro saw whatever it was and the old priest shook ever so slightly as his eyes widened. But he marshaled through, accepting whatever it was as he bowed his bald head to he study the mirror's reflection.

"I worry for you, my old friend. I worry who will hear you when we are gone."

At first Suzume frowned, obviously confused. Slowly all the color bleached from him as he stood perfectly still. White from head to toe save the glowing gold of his irises, the fox shook slightly as from the corners of his eyes he studied the old man with dawning understanding.

Whatever it was that he saw must've frightened him to the core.

Turning on his heel the fox fled.

Baffled, Lin was hard pressed to keep up as she burst out into the blinding dawn.

* * *

 **HAKU**

A knock sounded on the front door.

Jolting awake, this time Haku did not knock his head on the ceiling.

He was asleep on the floor.

Sunlight was streaming through the drawn blinds.

On his feet so swift a wind hit the room he cast about thinking he would be hard pressed to herd Gods into closets only to find his was apartment empty. Dumbfounded, he stared. Aki was gone and so were the blood stained sheet. The dishes from the meal he had served were missing. The divot he had put into the wall with his back was whole. Rushing to the bath he found it no longer stank of kappa. Wheeling around he even found a new bulb in the bare wire hanging from the ceiling.

It was as if they had never been in his home at all.

Again the knock came and he hurried to open the door only to find Shouta and Kenka standing outside. They wore respectively vibrant blue and orange so bright he blinked and stared at them uncomprehendingly.

"Dude," Kenka's face fell, "Are you okay?!"

"No," Haku breathed tremulously while forcing a smile, "I am not."

At once Kenka seized his elbow and ushered him inside. Gladly Haku followed, thankful to let someone else hold him up as at the moment as his knees were close to buckling. Shouta appeared at his other elbow in a panic.

"Oh-my-God, you're _shaking!"_

Haku hardly remembered sitting on the edge of his bed as Shouta went to the kitchen and Kenka to the bathroom. Haku was so very grateful for their company. Suddenly the room seemed dark and small in the absence of the Gods. Cabinets opened and closed followed shortly by the refrigerator.

"What the hell, Kou!?" Shouta huffed, "All you have in your fridge is a cup!"

The kitchen sink swished on as Kenka returned wordlessly holding out his damp handkerchief. It reminded Haku he had no linens either.

"Thank you, Kenka-san."

Haku accepted it with both hands as if it were a great gift. In truth the kindness was. He felt better after wiping his face and neck. The tall human planted a hand on the steeply sloped roof, leaning over him frowning as Shouta brought a glass of water. The tiny male put it in Haku's hands as he sat beside him with companionable closeness.

"Dude, what happened?"

Haku fought to answer. His throat threatened to close on the words.

"I had a difficult night… A friend died."

"Oh-my-God, I'm so sorry!" Shouta hushed, "Were you close?"

After last night he had no anger left. Slowly instead he filled with such grief, growing heavier and heavier until he was quite sure he could not stand. Because he would never again fall asleep to Chouchin's rosy pink light nor be greeted by the soft solid bump of her brittle paper body.

"Yes," Haku took a short shuddering breath as he bent over the glass, "She was the first friend I made upon arriving in Tokyo."

Suddenly he could not bear to remain in the gloomy empty room a moment longer.

"Apologies but I cannot stay here. I need to leave."

He stood abruptly and hit his head on the sloped ceiling, spilling his glass of water all over himself. Forced back to a rude seat Haku clutched his head and struggled through the flash of intense pain. Kenka and Shouta both cringed in sympathetic unison, exchanging meaningful glances over his head.

"Dude, let's go back to our place, okay?"

"Yeah, your stuff's still there anyways. I totally forgot t'bring it."

"I do not wish to impose," Haku whispered hoarsely.

"Are you kidding me? C'mon."

Already Kenka had his arm again, gently pulling him away from the ceiling.

"Um, Kenny? Don't you think he should change first?"

"I have nothing to change into except the costume you loaned me," Haku admitted hoarsely.

Again the pair exchanged a quiet worried glance over his head.

"What about your coat?"

"I burned it."

The glance again between then came again but longer this time.

"Um… Okay… Kaonashi it is."

Blindly Haku found his way to the bath and changed into the black robes, jamming his toes into the pair of shoes he had stolen from Chihiro's father. Shouta clicked off the light as they left, closing the door on the melancholy dark at his back.

xXx

The second shower revived him.

The soap, however, smelled strongly of masculine perfumes.

He much preferred flowery powdery smells like the soaps in Chihiro used.

At least he no longer smelled of smoke and spider blood.

The bathroom of Shouta and Kenka's apartment was almost the size of his apartment and also doubled as a place for laundry. The little male had scurried about gathering up the piles of clothes he swore profusely were clean. The room was tiled in drab beige the humans had tried to liven up with strange decorations Haku could not begin to fathom. He did not understand the grimacing faces cast in brightly colored plastics nor did he recognize the smoke spewing volcanic mountain on the shower curtain. Around its feet humans rode waves while perched atop planks of pointed wood. Even the mat on the floor was bizarre, shaped like a strange spiky fruit he had never before seen.

Hawaii: it announced brazenly. Haku had never heard of the place.

Through the thick cloud of steam Haku found the terry cloth robe Kenka had left for him. It was brilliantly orange like so many of the human's things, soft and smelling strongly of soap. Tying it tightly around his waist Haku bent and wiped the condensation from tiny window over the machines intended for washing. Through its weeping eye and between the buildings he caught a glimpse of the flat green surface of Lake Shinobazu. Beyond it was the swelling hill of Ueno Park.

Shyly emerging into the narrow hall, Haku felt terribly exposed. He had forgotten to ask for his clothes before going in to shower. Strange that Shouta had not offered. The rest of the apartment was as a clean and cheery to match its keepers. _Fred Astaire_ and _Ginger Rodgers_ announced the many framed black and white posters of a pair of dancers. Haku knew not who they were though they looked joyful enough. In the closest photo the human male and female were caught mid-air. The woman's flouncy dress billowed at the hem like a flower and the man laughed explosively. Whatever wall space not occupied by the posters was filled with photo after photo of Kenka and Shouta. No single portrait could be found. Where there was one there was the other. The chronology of their years together was cataloged on the wall in their ever persistent smiles.

Ahead of him in the living room atop a violently orange rug blue pile of cushions ringed a low legged table strategically placed before a flat screen television set of massive proportions. To his left was the hall leading to the dark single bedroom. To his right was a kitchen barely large enough to simultaneously accommodate both males. Beyond the narrow counter partitioning the living room from the kitchen they orbited each other with stunning efficiency, never once in each other's way. Shouta ducked under Kenka's arm to stir the bubbling sauce as Kenka filled a pot in the sink only to hoist it high over the little male's head, depositing it on the stove. As if clairvoyant he turned to sample the spoon Shouta held out, nodding wordlessly before planting a kiss atop the little human's head.

Such delicious savory smells wafted his way Haku could not help but approach. Seating himself on one of the stools cozied to the bar he quietly watched until Shouta glanced at him and jolted back into Kenka.

" _Holy shit, Kou!"_ Shouta put a hand on his chest and wilted, "You've got some _crazy_ ninja skills to sneak up on me in a bright orange robe!"

"Apologies, uh… Might I please have my clothes?"

"Sure thing," Shouta's eyes suddenly glinted mischievously as he leaned over the bar on his elbows, "After I give you a hair cut."

"Only if you want one," Kenka added mildly as he chopped tartly smelling herbs.

The little human flashed a sullen moue over his shoulder.

"I never said he _had_ to have one, did I?"

At once Haku grasped his bangs with both fists in utter exasperation.

"You would cut this? Please cut this!"

" _Ha!"_ Shouta rubbed his palms together chuckling exuberantly, "Honey, I'll cut the whole thing! It's not doing anything but hiding that gorgeous face!"

Haku blinked lifting his hands to the top of his head.

"Shorter? I have never had it shorter…"

Shouta came around the bar and tugged him to his feet, scooting the stool out into the middle of the room before seating him again. Then he circled round and round all the while frowning appraisingly. Haku held perfectly still, not sure what to make of the little human's behavior.

"Yup. Shorter. No more bangs. That way you'll stop hiding behind them,"

Shouta nodded emphatically as he ducked into the bathroom, calling back over his shoulder.

"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing. Who d'you think does Kenka's hair?"

At the stove the tall human struck a charming pose, pointing at his well coiffed spiky head before giving Haku a thumbs-up. He laughed and nodded approvingly.

"Chihiro will be pleased."

"Oh?" Kenka inquired lightly, trying not to appear too terribly curious as he stirred the herbs into the sauce, "By the way, Chihiro called. She's going to come by and pick you up later."

Elation could have lifted Haku straight into the air. Although just as suddenly uncertainty rooted him in place. Haku fidgeted on the stool, making it rock to the side jarringly as he worked up the courage to ask.

"Will Michio be accompanying us?"

Shouta sprinted from the bathroom, getting right in Haku's face as he clutched a pair of strange scissors, a comb, and a folded straight razor. Blinking rapidly, Haku leaned away from the sharp implements and the human's intense scrutiny, making his seat teeter dangerously.

"Who's Michio?" Shouta demanded in a low voice as if it was a secret.

"C-Chihiro's best friend."

" _She introduced you to her BFF!"_ Shouta cheered explosively, dropping the cutting implements onto the bar as he snatched up his phone, once again running down the hall half-shouting, "I have to call Fuu right now! _Don't move!_ I'll be right back."

Flabbergasted, Haku flinched as something cold touched his arm. Kenka was leaning across the bar offering a cold can of beer.

"Here. Drink it quick before he comes back," Kenka hushed, "Sho'll throw a fit if he sees us drinking beer when we're gonna eat pasta."

As the tall human half downed his Haku took a hurried sip, frowning at the bitterness of the brew before appealing to Kenka.

"Is it important? To be introduced to a bee, uh, eff, eff?"

"Yup," Kenka was grinning, "It means she's serious. Then again, I think she's always been serious about you."

Haku flushed, hastily searching for some kind of reply.

"Is that so?"

Kenka snorted, lifting his brows to give him a pointed stare Haku immediately shrank from. Suddenly the human was swirling his can and playing with the rainbow colored beads on his necklace as a slow conflicted frown pulled his lips into a thin line. Again Haku could feel the question coming. Trepidation hummed on his skin like a cold burn. All he could do was cringe and wait until finally the human spoke.

"Dude, I can't help but ask 'cause you _seriously_ lit into Jae when he was giving you a hard time about Chihiro. If I didn't know any better I'd say you've been in love with her for a _long_ time. I don't wanna get up in your business 'cause I know what its like to have secrets you'd rather not tell. But it's not just you. _Both_ of you are something else! You get together and it's like _boom!_ The earth shakes! What's up with that?"

At once Haku found himself shaking. He should not speak of it. He knew he should not speak of it! But suddenly it was all he longed to do. Of all the harried humans he now called friends Kenka was by far the calmest. He had shown himself to be extremely tactful and Haku enjoyed his company immensely. Loosing Chouchin had stripped Haku to the bone, leaving him brittle and grieved. Loneliness was bitter consolation that only added to his sorrow. It left him wanting to be known, if only in part.

Haku bowed his head, whispering, "I… I know not where to begin."

Kenka glanced at the hall to make sure Shouta was not listening. Chatty voice filtered distantly, punctuated by a high twittering laugh. Then the tall human leaned closer pillowing his elbows on the bar as he set his beer aside.

"You're from Kumomi, right?" Kenka offered quietly.

Haku hesitated, realizing what he was about to do, but continuing all the same.

"Yes."

Kenka blinked rapidly, "Didn't Chihiro used t'live there?"

"Yes."

The human was frowning now as slowly understanding soaked through him.

"Did you know her? Back before the accident?"

Haku cringed as truth slipped out of him as they always did: against his will.

"Yes."

" _H-holy shit!"_

At once Kenka straightened as his serious brown eyes went so wide Haku could not meet them. The human's voice was such a stunned hush Haku hardly heard him.

"You followed her here, didn't you? She doesn't remember you at all, does she?"

Closing his eyes Haku shook his head.

"No. She does not. Not even now."

There. It was done. There was no going back now.

Kenka grappled with all of this, searching the kitchen as if it held something he could offer in remedy of the situation. There was nothing.

"D-Dude," Kenka was whispering, gripping the edge of the counter as he suddenly appealed to him with earnest eyes, "You have to tell her!"

Haku's frazzled patience snapped.

"Tell me then, since you are so sure, how does one begin a conversation such as that!? She left us because she could not bear to see what she could not remember! How can I bring that upon her again!? No! There are things I would leave behind just as she has. Though we have begun anew my love remains unchanged. It is unending! It will endure from this life into our next for even there we will find each other and begin anew!"

Kenka shrank from his harsh tone but was too caught up in the pouring words to notice. The human was awestruck, gaping uselessly while searching to explain the obvious disquiet stretched across his tanned pinched features.

"Dude, what about _this_ life? What happens when she asks where you're from? What happens when she wants to meet your family? You can't just _lie_ …"

"I have never lied to her!" Haku cut in furiously.

Then he flinched as anger fled him; because it was a lie. He had lied to Chihiro. He had told her his name was Kou when it was not. Immediately Haku lapsed into stunned silence as Kenka began again his gentle counsel.

"Sometimes secrets are the same as lies, Kou. I'm just saying 'cause I know you love her. I know you're probably afraid to loose her again. Eventually, maybe when you two are a little more settled, you're gonna have to tell her because lies can break even the strongest relationships."

Haku remember how Chihiro had lied to him, remembered how it had nearly driven him from her. Close to tears Haku bowed his head over his beer can, clutching it until the can clinked and flexed. In a hurried rush he let out his thoughts, desperate to share them lest they gather inside him, pooling and swelling until he burst!

"You are right, Kenka-san. I know you are right but all this happened so _quickly!_ I did not mean for this. I went outside and suddenly she was before me and in such a state. What was I to do? Then Fuu and Jae appeared. She followed and I was so overjoyed to see her. Then I followed her for I could not bear to see her go…!"

Haku jolted as he crushed the can in his hands. It crumpled like paper, spraying him with bitter beer.

Startled to his feet Haku was across the room with his back to the wall long before the can hit the ground. It was crumpled like a piece of paper clearly baring the imprint of his hand. Haku moved so quickly he inspired wind in his wake. Even more startled Kenka knocked back against the refrigerator as the gust hit the kitchen. Jars clattered and quaked as the gale circled back only to dissipate at Haku's feet because Kenka was absolutely white. Shaking visibly, the male's wide brown eyes found him with far more intensity than the awed gaze he had turned upon him in Haku's apartment. Fuu had stared similarly when Haku caught Kenka as the human passed out in the kitchen. Both looked with untouched mortal eyes, but still, those eyes saw clearly.

"A-apologies," Haku stammered, already hurrying with affected slowness to the bathroom, "I will get a towel."

Once inside Haku shut the door, sinking to his knees with his face in his hands. He cringed with fright for he knew what the human had seen. For all intensive purposes he had disappeared, moving so quickly he could not be seen only to reappear. There was no way to explain what had happened. He almost ran right there and then. But he had no clothes nor did he have any place to go beside Chihiro's. It would not due to turn up on her doorstep in an orange bathroom stinking of beer.

Shouta came scooting down the hall.

"Where'd Kou go?"

"He spilled his beer and went to clean up. Poor guy's still kinda shaky."

Haku silently praised Kenka's tact, taken aback by the human's shrewd silence. But there was no time to fret over the consequences of the truths he had both avertedly and inadvertently revealed. Shouta was knocking on the door calling to him now and not bothered by the mess he had made.

"Hurry up, Kou. I've got just enough time to cut your hair before lunch is ready."

Haku was at the sink making loud splashing sounds as he foundered lamely.

"Yes, Shouta."

Sweet and blithe as always, the little male continued insinuatingly.

"Oh, and I put some clothes by the door. Don't argue, kay?"

"Y-yes, Shouta…?"

At once Haku was concerned for obviously these were not to be his clothes.

"You don't have to wear them if you don't want to, kay Kou?"

As if coming to his rescue Kenka refuted his partner. Pans clattered as at once they were arguing quietly, oblivious to the fact he could hear every word.

"Why d'you always ruin my fun!?" Shouta hissed beneath his breath.

"He's not a doll!"

"I know! I know! Just let me make him pretty! Please? I wanna see the look on Chihiro's face when she sees how hot Kou really is."

Kenka was terribly exasperated.

"She already knows, Shouta."

"No she doesn't!"

Shouta refuted stalwartly as he suddenly paused as if unsure of what he was saying. Haku held his breath as he listened over the sound of rushing water.

"I spent most of Friday night with the two of them. It's _totally_ weird, Kenny! She see's him but doesn't! It's like she's looking right through him without realizing it, like he's a ghost or somethin'! Dunno what she's seeing but it's not Kou! She's missing what's right in front of her face!"

Kenka was silent a moment, then spoke with terrible seriousness.

"Only if he want's to, okay?"

"Oh, he want's to. Trust me. I'm gonna make him impossible to ignore."

Suddenly Shouta was chuckling beneath his breath.

The sound was actually quiet frightening.

* * *

 **CHIHIRO**

It was hard not to look at every plate glass window she passed.

Oh, God… Was this skirt too short?

It probably made her look like she was trying way too hard.

Glancing at the store front window she cringed at the sight of her knees.

She wilted and admitted she was going to freeze her butt off.

 _Argh!_ Why'd she let Michi talk her into this outfit and the _make-up_ too!? It was more diner and drinks than a walk in the park. At least she'd managed to dress it down with a purple wool coat, brown leggings, and a striped scarf and hat. There was a huge ridiculous flower on the hat. She'd spent the whole taxi ride over trying to pull the damned thing off without ruining the hat. It was a no-go and the offending blossom remained firmly perched on the side of her brow making her long to take it off.

But with every step she took her heart beat faster and faster in her chest.

Who knew finding an apartment complex could send chills up her spine?

Fidgeting with her shell necklace, she walked right past the door the first time down the hall, circling back to it and feeling like an idiot. Holding her breath she knocked on the door and froze in her boots as a guy who could've been a _Vanity Fair_ model opened it.

"S-Sorry!" She squeaked and shrank behind her purse, "W-wrong door!"

Model guy frowned uncertainly and blushed as he dropped his chin shyly.

"Do I look so different then?"

Chihiro's mouth fell open and she almost dropped her bag.

" _Kou!"_

He flashed a sheepish smile, motioning to his immaculately styled locks.

"Shouta cut my hair."

It was short! Really short but not too short; layered a bit and textured with some product that made it super shiny. It perfectly framed his gorgeous face making his green eyes dazzlingly bright beneath his chiseled brows. Heat roasted Chihiro cheeks because he was wearing a pair of dark wash jeans that made his legs miles long and a warm purple sweater half zipped to reveal the brown pin-stripe shirt layered beneath. Brown belt, brown shoes; she was still gaping, trying to take it all in.

"You look beautiful, Chihiro," his eyes crinkled up ever so slightly as he nodded at the silly flower on her hat, "That is a very pretty flower."

Suddenly she couldn't think of a damned thing to say. He was gorgeous before but there was no hiding it now, especially as his shy smile transformed, turning warm with open affection as he looked her right in the eye.

" _Okay, I can't take it, you two are too cute!"_ Shouta burst out of the hallway and skidded to a halt on the linoleum floor as he waved her inside, "Get in here!"

Chihiro was extremely conscious of Kou's closeness as he closed the door behind her. He almost put his hand on her back as he welcomed her inside. But then she was too busy hugging Shouta and then Kenka as he emerged from the hall as well.

"So?" Shouta yanked poor Kou down by the arm to preen his hair, "What do you think?"

"Sho…!" Kenka hissed under his breath giving him a pointed look.

"I love it," she effused, grinning from ear to ear as Kou turned bright red.

"In truth I feel terribly exposed," he admitted quietly as he ducked his chin, "My neck is quite cold."

It took all of Chihiro's self control not to lift his chin and kiss him right there.

"That's what scarfs are for."

Shouta winked as he stood on tip toe to wind a green cable knit around Kou's neck before holding up a navy peacoat. With a mild expression Kou let the tiny fellow dress him as Chihiro barely restrained a giggle. Kenka rolled his eyes with a long suffering expression, which did nothing to help her keep a straight face.

"We still on for dance studio tomorrow night?" Shouta tossed over his shoulder as Kenka dragged him away before he could button Kou's coat.

"Uh, sure." Chihiro beamed, "What time?"

"Come by at 6:00," Kenka added while nodding at the door and silently urging them to go, "We should be warmed up by then."

"I shall see you in the morning."

Kou caught himself mid-bow as Shouta shook his head furtively. Instead he managed a shy wave instead, earning an approving wink. Apparently the boys were giving him lessons in how to be cool. Gods, her cheeks hurt form smiling, this was too much. Her insides swam giddily as Kou opened the door and held out his arm.

"Shall we go, Chihiro?"

"Sure!"

Oh, God; that sounded way too eager... Before she could wilt in mortification he whisked her out the door. She did manage to flash an elated grin over her shoulder only to find both Kenka and Shouta waving all kinds of encouragement. Chihiro held her cool until they paused in front of the elevator, loosing a giggle and grinning up at him as he nervously glanced down the hall.

"We should make haste before Shouta gives chases with his scissors."

As he looked back she resisted the urge to grab him by the front of his coat.

"This is too great!" Her hands were already hovering, "Can I touch?"

He bowed his head and she ran her fingers lightly across the short spikes. It was still soft and whispered deliciously beneath her palms. Chihiro was so distracted by his new haircut that she didn't realize he had leaned in to kiss her until his mouth tipped up to hers. He almost picked her up as she fell against him. Fireworks, confetti, train whistles, and a bicycle bell all simultaneously sounded inside her head. Right around his neck and into the short fringe of his hair her hands went. Her skin burned every place it touched his as she forgot about the park and everything else except his lips on hers.

"Apologies," he hushed with a grin as they finally surfaced for air, "I missed you terribly, Chihiro."

"Me too," she returned while tipping her head back and inviting more.

The elevator dinged and they jolted apart, adjusting their clothes as a white-haired gran emerged and shuffled down the hall pulling a cart full of gigantic daikon radishes. Chihiro giggled gleefully as the old woman cast many a suspicious backward glance. Seizing Kou's arm she dragged him into the elevator car and pulled him back into range by the lapels of his coat. He complied without hesitation.

They emerged on the bottom floor more than disheveled

Arm and arm downstairs and pushed out into the blistering cold.


	39. Chapter 39

**CHIHIRO**

Ueno Park was a blast.

The water fountain was frozen into all kinds of pretty icicles and the Science Museum was free. She'd never seen someone so enraptured by a whale skeleton. Kou's eyes couldn't get any bigger and he leaned over the second floor railing next to boys half his age trying to get a better view. At least she got to ogle the seat of his pants and took great pleasure in giving the stink eye to several of the moms who were also enjoying the view. Chihiro did manage to embarrass herself by grabbing him by the back of the belt as he tipped to far for her comfort. But Kou didn't care at all and she earned herself the best seat in the house as he looked back at her with one of his rare dazzling smiles. They shared the biggest roasted yam she'd seen in her life, bought right off the fire from one of the roasters stationed about the big courtyard in the center of the museums.

Poor Kou burned his mouth as he took way to big a bite but refused to spit it out.

Apparently it was too hot and too delicious at the same time.

Unfortunately he couldn't be talked into going to the zoo or the amusement park Ueno Park was famous for. Instead they settled on wandering arm and arm in a strangely comfortable silence that would've set her blabbering nervously had she been with anyone else but Kou. After being cooped up in the house for so many months it was nice to be outside. Kou had this way about him when he walked; flowing forward like water following an age old course. It was impossible not to be swept up in his stride.

She slowed for a moment as they passed a dark restaurant only to catch a glimpse of pink tutus in the window above. Wait, wasn't this Le Pichet? It was. She remembered the sign out front from when she brought her parents. But Kou passed by without hesitating and to her right an enormous red torii gate tucked between two ancient trees suddenly sprang up like magic. A shiver wound its way up her spine as she stared at the bare branches over head. Kou slowed to a stop, distracted her from the strange prick of apprehension as he gestured to the mysterious path ahead. It wound its way down a narrow set of rock stairs obscured by more and more torii gates.

"Have you ever been to this shrine?"

"No," Chihiro peered down into below, "Is it pretty?"

"Yes. Would you like to see?"

He was already a step ahead of her, holding out his hand as he looked back and beckoned with his brilliant green eyes. She took his hand and followed carefully. She was wearing heels after all and didn't want to slip on any ice and make a goof of herself. Brand new red and white lanterns hung on strings at either side of the main path. They were sure to look spectacular at night. The caretakers were already preparing for New Years and even though it was a week away everything looked freshly swept, clipped, and trimmed.

Kou held her hands and helped her down the last few stairs that were steeper than the rest. At the bottom was an amazing maze of red and stone torii. Family shrine after family shrine tucked into spirals of nooks and crannies as a thick curtain of bamboo leaned over them from the steep hill side. Water trickled persistently in the distance, drowning all the sounds of the park beyond the fences atop the hill side. It was an eerily familiar sound. Letting go of Kou's hands she came over to study a large fox statue who'd just received a brand new offering bib once again feeling the strange sense of déjà vu go worming its way through her heart.

"You know, an Inari shrine features prominently in my new story. I finished it last night, by the way. I was hoping you might like to read it."

Chihiro turned and came up short as she found she was talking to herself.

Kou had disappeared and a cold wind blew through her in his absence.

Blinking rapidly she searched among the rice ropes and braid festooned rocks and trees until she caught a glimpse of him from afar beneath the eve of what could only be the main shrine. His head was bent in earnest prayer. He bowed with deep reverence to each of the stone foxes guarding the entrance before turning and catching her watching him. At once he went as red as the bibs on the foxes beside him and bobbed an awkward bow as she approached.

"Apologies. You seemed to enjoy wandering. I did not mean to leave you."

"S'okay. I didn't know you're religious."

Chihiro nodded at the shrine with a curious smile. Kou hesitated for a moment as his jade eyes became worried.

"Yes… Does that bother you?"

"No. Not at all. Actually, I really like that."

At once he was blushing and ducked his head to hide a shy smile. She bumped into him playfully; encouraged by the fact that he liked that she liked him. A frozen gust of wind cut its way through the grotto bringing on it the unmistakable smell of snow. Lifting her eyes to the clear blue sky she caught tufts of fluffy clouds chasing their way across the sky. She shivered again, violently this time, because it was frickin' freezing down here. Everything was covered in icicles and her breath was a constant plume of white but Kou didn't seem to be bothered at all. At once he was frowning as she shivered again, this time so hard her teeth rattled making her feel like an idiot.

"Are you cold, Chihiro?"

He put his arms around her frowning with deep concern.

"Y-y-yeah," she chattered through her teeth while staring at the buttons on his coat and resisting the urge to put her hands in his pockets, "K-k-kinda."

He hesitated then looked at something in the distance.

"My apartment is just there."

He pointed with his eyes to a building perched high on the hill just behind the screen of bamboo. A set of stone stairs wound their way up the back to a set of twin steps. The windows on the side facing them were bright with light and inside more pink whirled and plied.

"It is terribly small but you would be warm."

Finally she figured it out. He was nervous about taking her back to his place. At once her heart squeezed inside her chest until she went lightheaded with excitement. This time she let the emotion have its way and wormed her way under his arm.

"I don't mind. I'd love to see your place."

Back up the steps and around the side of _Le Pichet,_ Kou led her by the hand up a set of covered stairs and fumbled in his pockets for his keys. He was red in the cheeks by the time he found them; dropped them; then was forced to put on his broken glasses before he could find the right key. There were literally hundreds on the ring! They rang and clanged against each other like bells. Some were seriously old, like, really, _really_ old.

"That's a lot of keys. Do you collect them or do they all go to something?"

"They were a gift," he stammered, not at all answering her question.

Finally the key turned in the lock and he half ran inside.

"Please come in. May I take your coat?"

That last bit came out in a rush as she followed, stepping through the wall of warmth inside. The heater was going full tilt, not that it would take much to heat the room. Kou shut the door behind her and hit the switch. A single bare bulb blinked to life, lighting the tiny studio. Kitchen, bed, closet, bathroom, wall and door; all were probably within reaching distance of Kou's long limbs. Already he was stooping as if afraid of hitting his head on the steeply sloped ceiling, taking her coat, hat, and scarf to hang them next to his on the pegs set into the wall opposite the door.

Stepping out of her shoes and putting her bag on the floor Chihiro paused and fought to keep from frowning. The walls were bare. So was the bed. The only thing on the kitchen counter was a single glass, his strange ring of keys, and his broken glasses. The lack of personal effects was a little unnerving. But everything was clean, bright, and smelled ever so slightly of herby, incense-ish wood smoke. The sloped wall boasted a huge window that streamed in the late afternoon light outside. Coming over she found the view to be lovely. Outside was another world that did not belong to Tokyo. The vista of sleepily nodding trees could've been another place entirely. Distantly she could hear music from the dance studio, something light and classical. It added to the moment making it even more surreal.

"I have something to tell you," Kou confessed in a quiet voice as he unzipped and hung the purple sweater, "These are not my clothes. Kenka loaned them to me so I might look presentable with you in public."

Chihiro turned back to find him still red in the face and loitering by the front door smoothing the back of his hair as if it was somehow messy.

"I loan Michio my clothes all the time."

The red in his cheeks intensified as he glanced to the kitchen.

"I have nothing to offer except water."

"What's wrong with water?"

Now he was frowning at the floor.

"I have nothing to offer you to sit upon except the floor."

"I'll sit on the bed if that's okay? I'm hoping someone will sit with me."

And so she did leaving enough room for him. Thankfully he joined her and finally she understood why he stooped. His head barely fit beneath the eve and he bent his shoulders, studying the floor with a furrowed brow.

"Even the money with which I bought the yam was not mine."

She stifled a sober laugh.

"It was still delicious."

Finally he flashed a rueful smile.

"Yes. Indeed it was. But very hot."

He was brooding again, staring at the floor. His shapely brows drew together as she searched his face. Like the rest of him his eyes were incapable of lying. They betrayed all kinds of tender things, telling her exactly what he was thinking. He wanted to say it too. It was written all over his face. But something held him back. What? _What?!_ As her insides squirmed with mystery until Kou glanced at her furtively, startling her with the intense worry in his eerie jade eyes.

"I have so little to offer you, Chihiro."

Not what she was expecting so she snorted wryly.

"What makes you think I want anything other than you?"

There went her heart again; giddily spinning up into the top of her throat as he stared as if he couldn't believe that she wanted him. He had to have some _serious_ self-esteem issues to be so amazing and still so very clueless. But then again from what she'd learned it sounded like he'd been through some rough stuff recently. She knew too well what that kinda thing took out of you and she had it in her mind not to let anything else like that happen to him ever again. So she took a shuddering breath and blurted out exactly what was on her mind.

"Kou? It's seriously kinda scary that I don't know much about you. We just met. But somehow that doesn't matter. I think I'm falling in love with you."

A gust of wind hit the side of the house making the window rattle and the lights flicker. Outside the trees whipped around, scratching the side of the hose. Chihiro let out a squeak of surprise and recoiled from the window. But Kou didn't so much as flinch. Suddenly all the tension ran out of him. All the worry dried up as he closed his eyes and his face composed into such an expression of perfect calm.

Again, this was not at all the reaction she was expecting. Oh, God… Oh, god! Now she was panicking because Kou was seriously calm, like, _Buddhist_ calm. He wasn't this calm when Michio chased him with _knives_ and this was way worse stuff by guy standards! Before she could freak out and blurt even more potentially relationship damaging drivel gently Kou placed his fingertips to her mouth, stilling her lips to silence.

"Chihiro..."

He pronounced her name so carefully as if every part was precious.

"From the moment I first saw you I have loved you."

Kou bowled over as he opened his eyes. As if struck by the strength of his gaze a bell rang in her heart. It was distant and foggy. But she was too distracted to think much of it because he was looking at her with this crazy certainty, like this was the way it had always been and now things were finally getting back to normal. The craziest thing of all is she felt the same way. Being with him; feeling him next to her; listening to his voice; it just felt right. But best of all; better than his smell and his laugh and that brilliant otherworldly smile of his; was kissing him. Kissing him was like kissing lightning.

Chihiro shivered as he moved his fingers across her lips. Already she was leaning into him. Her insides sparked and crackled as the contact between their bodies stirred up a storm. Her hands went right to the buttons of his shirt; impatient to get to what was beneath. But he continued to kiss her as if they had all the time in the world. Somewhere in that kiss she forgot her hurry. With his other hand he pressed her palm to his chest. His heart was thunder beneath her hand, sending her insides trembling as warmth poured out of his body, soaking her through with his smell.

Warm rain; summer rain.

"This," he murmured against her lips, "This is yours."

Her head emptied out Kou drew closer until he was all she could see and hear.

"How I love you, Chihiro. Oh, how I love you!"

Every word he spoke was true.

* * *

 **HAKU**

As they lay together in a fleeting pool of sunlight Haku knew peace for the first time in a long while. They had not made love. There was no need. This was something else; something so much more than physical. He had not expected it so soon. That he had found it at all gave him hope.

Chihiro stirred as he lightly kissed the very tip of her nose. She had fallen asleep not long ago, growing heavy against his shoulder. He had an inkling that she had not slept well last night. Neither had he. But now she roused ever so slightly and her busy hands skated across his shirt drawing lines of pleasure across his insides.

"What's your favorite color?" She murmured drowsily.

Haku snorted in amusement.

"Am I to pick only one?"

"Yeah. Just one."

"Blue."

"What kinda blue."

He thought on that a moment

"The color of clear cold midnight sky."

"Hmmm… Pretty," She hummed as again her fingers picked at the buttons of his shirt as if annoyed with them, "What's your favorite food?"

He did not need to think hard on that.

"Espresso."

Chihiro laughed sleepily, "That's not food."

"Is it not?"

"No. It's a drink." She grinned as him as her lovely brown eyes cracked open.

"Why so many questions, Chihiro?" He returned her smile gladly, "Is it a game?"

"Nope. I just want to get to know you better."

"I see," he fought a smirk, "Are donuts are food?"

" _Junk_ food maybe?"

"Truly?" He made a moue, "What a shame. I find them quite delicious."

Again she laughed gaily as if enjoying all this terribly.

"What about music?" She settled closer, gazing up at him from under her lashes, "What kind do you like?"

"I adore all music, Chihiro."

"Really?" She blinked, "Even rap music?"

Haku frowned, "What is rap music?"

She crossed her eyes in glee, struggling to remain sober.

"Okay, fine. What's your absolute favorite music? Describe it?"

He looked away at the ceiling, tracing the dark shadows of the trees cast on the opposite wall by approaching sunset. It was impossible not to remember the summer evenings that brought him just such a song.

"My aunt plays the koto and my younger sister the shamisen. My brother in law plays the flute and sometimes he can coax my elder sister to sing. Dusk bows at their feet so it might hear a moment more. That is the music I long most to hear again."

She breathed quietly as if affected by his words, "You really miss them."

Haku closed his eyes and saw only the dark musty kitchen with its green tiles.

"Yes."

She shifted awkwardly, "Can you go home to see them anytime soon?

Haku tried not to think of the bath tile hidden away in the fold of his tatter cloak.

"If I go back I fear I will never return."

At once she went still and her hand tightened on the front of his shirt. Turning his nose into her hair he drew her closer in his arms wordlessly reassuring her that he intended to go nowhere. Haku smoothed his hands over her back, kneading the knots of worry he found there.

"Can't they come visit?"

Haku turned his mind away from the thought of the frogmen and the yuna struggling to survive in a place such as Tokyo. Like tiny flames they would extinguish almost instantly beneath the horror of this place. He could not even picture Lin or Suzume among the towering fortresses of steal and glass. They would fade in the headlights of the milling cars; smothered and lost in the roaring sound of trains and airplanes.

"I fear they would not do well here. It is not our world."

"You seem to be doing okay."

Haku stared at the ceiling and struggled to keep his voice even.

"Only because my youngest sister was with me," he admitted quietly, "She spent some time here when she was younger. You had not a chance to meet her before she was forced to return."

"Why'd she go back?"

Again Chihiro stirred beside him and he could hear her frowning. His head clouded with the memory of bloody spider's silk and the sickly yellow-green tears Okesa cried the day he sent her home. Swallowing with difficulty he took a long shuddering breath but found himself almost glad to tell her these things. Of all the people in the world he wished to know him it was her. But he had to be careful, so very careful.

"She became… ill. We were living in the garbage shed behind the restaurant. I danced for alms in the park but that was not enough. It was too cold and too hard. I could not care for her properly so I was forced to send her home."

Chihiro squirmed beside him, hushing beneath her breath.

"That's terrible…!"

Again his eyes drifted across the ceiling as he remembered Shitamachi.

"We have slept in worse places and known worse hungers."

As if she didn't know what to say to that Chihiro changed the subject.

"How'd you end up here?"

"Kazuo-sensei, the owner of this building, saw me dancing in the park not long after Okesa left. She gave me a job in exchange that I dance at the studio next door."

As if on cue Origa's voice filtered through the wall, counting along to the music. So distracted was he that Haku did not realize the mistake he had made until Chihiro handed it back to him curiously.

"Is that your little sister's name? Okesa?"

With great difficulty he forced himself to tell the truth.

"Yes."

"Hah, that's so weird; Okesa's the name of a character in my book. She's a cat, actually; a bake-neko. She's not really an original creation. I borrowed her from a folk tale. Have you ever heard the story of Okesa no Sado? Probably not, huh?"

As Chihiro laughed sheepishly Haku froze as it seemed the very blood in his veins slowed into ice. Laying there with everything he wanted nestled so closely in his arms he was forced to endure the bitter cold premonition that blew through his very soul, opening him to a realization that set another gust of wind pummeling against the side of the house. She remembered. Chihiro remembered everything but she though it to be fantasy.

Haku tried to listen as she continued; trying to marshal through the misery that seized him then in that moment; trying to make his peace with the revelation only to find it impossible. Suddenly he found himself back at the beginning of their story once more as if chasing a tail he no longer possessed. How subtle was fate's cruelty. How keenly it cut him none-the-less.

"I guess I should tell you I used your other sister's name in my book. I hope you don't mind. It was just such a pretty name I couldn't pass it by."

He forced a brittle smile and was glad she could not see it.

"Do not worry, Chihiro. Hayashimi would be flattered."

As if not sure what to say to that she changed the subject.

"I'm excited to see you dance again tomorrow. You love dancing don't you?"

Again he had to pause to think only to find himself remembering something Jae had said. The foul-mouthed human revealed a pearl of wisdom when he said one must always have something else to fall back on should the thing they love most be taken from them. His choice to be mortal had robbed him of the sky, but dancing would ever remain the closest he would come to flying.

"Yes. It is the one ability I possess in which I have confidence."

"Now I'm _really_ excited to see you dance."

Haku chuckled softly, feeling himself thaw again.

"I would dance for you now but I am loath to move."

"No moving," Chihiro agreed, anchoring him in place with her arms.

Haku laughed outright at that and kissed the top of her head, holding her close he watched as slowly the light skated up the opposite wall. As time ticked by the light grew richer until lemons turned to gold before erupting into a brilliant crimson. The whole room burst into brilliant color until abruptly it winked away, fading into a hazy pale blue that left him sad somehow. As sunset faded into night Chihiro fidgeted beside him. She no longer dozed but instead he could hear her thinking intensely about something. As night soaked through the walls of his tiny apartment she broke the silence.

"Would it be okay if I asked who she was?" She asked uncertainly in a small voice, "The girl you followed here?"

Again the kindled warmth in his heart drained away like the fleeting light. What could he offer her but the truth? He had made a promise to himself never again to lie to her. This was her story though she did not even know it. What right did he have to withhold it from her?

"We met as children by chance, but even then I loved her," he began carefully, "Her family moved away and I did not see her again until many years later when again we met by chance. She did not recognize me but I knew her the moment I saw her."

It had been a long time since he thought of Yubaba's Bath house. Even now he could not remember it as it was. All he could see was the rotting rust the broken carcass smeared on the horizon of his memory.

"As I said, I am not proud of who I was at that time. I had no friends. I thought little of others. I even stole for my own benefit. All the same she saw the best in me. In truth it was through her that I was able to become something more. For her I changed. For her I learned to be good. But time drove us apart and in the end I lost her again."

Chihiro turned in his arms, sitting up on her elbows so she could look down at him. Sadness was etched in ever winkle on her face. And his heart squeezed in his too small chest because even after all these years she had not changed at all. She worried so much for others but forgot to keep anything for herself.

"W-what happened?"

"She forgot me."

The lines deepened to disbelief.

"How could she possibly forget _you_!?"

Chihiro breathed every word as if it was not possible. As she did slowly Haku brushed his hands over her brow; trying to smooth away her disquiet; trying to think of some way to explain.

"It was not her fault. It is hard to remember, Chihiro, especially when it is very terrible and sad. It hurts. Oh, how it hurts. Sometimes it is easier to forget."

She was staring at him as if understanding but not. As she did her expression transformed. Haku was stunned by the truth and the strength of the affection that poured out of her in that moment. It left him completely unprepared for what she said next.

"I could never forget you, Kou."

Without knowing it she stabbed him in the heart. The knife twisted and twisted until he struggled upright. His legs failed him before he could hit his head, sending him to a seat on the floor beside the bed. Sitting there he fought his way through a sob to breathe. Was there no mercy in this world!? Would there never be any respite!? He choked on the agony of bitter irony; mocked and tortured still by the cunning of Sengen's curse.

" _I'm sorry!"_ She was in a panic somewhere beside him, _"I'm so sorry!"_

He reached for her blindly. Somehow he found her hands, pulling them to his chest and pressing them there as he blinked to clear his muddy sight.

"I am not angry, Chihiro," his voice failed and he struggled to find it again, "As I said it hurts to remember and at times you are so much like her."

Taking back a hand to wipe his face and eyes Haku looked up only to find her perched over him in the increasing dark coiled with such misery she inspired more tears. Haku let her wipe them away, bowing into her embrace as she climbed down beside him.

"Please…?"

He entreated weakly, afraid to look at her for the moment. He did not beg of her so much as he begged of who of whatever might be listening. In that moment he prayed for the both of them.

"It is done. I have found you, so please, let us start again?"

She blinked rapidly, drawing back as if struck by his words, studying him as if again trying to understand something that she withheld. As she did that helpless expression brimmed in her eyes only to galvanize and transform into something else. Slowly she nodded as if agreeing. Slowly all the fear and the worry dissolved until she was gazing at him with only sincere affection. And Haku was left to marvel. How she had changed in these past few months. How much stronger she had become. As Chihiro stood over him he half thought she might pick him up off the ground.

Then she knocked her forehead against the sharply sloped ceiling.

Down she crashed, cringing and clutching her head and laughing.

"Oh! Oh, no!"

He held her close as she laughed and laughed until she got the hiccups. The tiny uncontrollable sounds were absolutely ridiculous and he could not help but join. Laughing hysterically they sat there hanging on each other until even the dark outside seemed to pale. Again he was warm. Again he found peace.

"Is a convenience store diner okay?" Chihiro sighed as she wiped her eyes, "I really don't want to share you with anyone tonight."

"Yes," He smirked, "But I disagree that donuts and espresso are not food."

"You're seriously gonna eat _that_ for diner? You're gonna be up all night!"

Suddenly he pulled her close, startling her as he gently ran the tip of his nose along the side of her neck. At once she melted, loosing a tiny gasp as he planted a soft kiss on the downy skin behind her ear before whispering suggestively in her ear.

"And that is disagreeable why?"

At once he was on his feet, flashing an impish grin over his shoulder as Chihiro uttered wordless protests and slapped her fists against the floor.

" _Tease!"_ She decried, "You… you, _tease!"_

Already he had his shoes and coat on, winding the scarf around his neck and fleeing outside as Chihiro gave chase. He laughed all the way down to the bottom of the stairs where he waited for her patiently.

"Keys!" She jingled them from the landing as she closed the door and stared at the ring blankly remembering there were hundreds.

"Oh, yes. Those are important. Shall I help?"

Haku came up short on the bottom step as Chihiro selected one at random and fitted it into the lock. It turned sharply, locking the door and leaving him gaping. Chihiro laughed as she flounced down the steps with a smiling and holding out the ring triumphantly. Haku accepted them still staring at her askance until she hooked her arm through his, pulling him around the restaurant onto the main path.

Haku followed in wonder.

Convenience stores; work weeks; bills; soap; clothes; cars; friends.

This was what he had given up his God-self to gain.

The simple human life he had hoped to share with her.

Arm in arm, they took their first steps into that life together.


	40. Chapter 40

**HAKU**

Haku's feet barely touched the stairs leading to the dance studio.

He was late and knew it.

There was far more dishes than usual today. The diner rush, as poor little Fuu called it, had been quite intense. She and Kanka had rushed around in a blur of action so swift they collided twice. By the end the floor was filthy and had taken time to mop. Not wanting to smell of onions and fouled dish water he had showered. The scent of the soap Chihiro purchased last night was still strong about him, which did nothing to clear his head.

Though he was dressed in the flowing white clothes Kenka had given him, Haku did not feel the cold as he hurried to join the others. Coming up the front stairs an odd premonition slowed him on the landing. The same strange light music from yesterday trickled under the door. Beyond the enormous glass windows Jae, Shouta, Fuu, and Kana stood at a bar that stood in the middle of the dance floor. They all wore the tight revealing clothing that made him terribly bashful. Gently and with extreme control they paced in perfect unison through a series of graceful movements; bowing their legs and lifting their arms.

Fascinated, Haku watched as they bent low before pointing with their toes and reaching to elegantly extend their fingers. Humans could be so lovely when they tried. Jae was king amongst the humans. He had not expected such poise from the foul mouthed male. Serenely Jae paced from step to step effortlessly, transformed by the motions to a being of tranquil beauty.

Far less sure Fuu and Kana followed his every move, watching carefully and trying to mimic his fluid gestures. The females wore strange shoes of pink tied in ribbons of satin. The purpose of the over-padded toes become evident as they periodically lifted themselves up onto the points with surprising agility. Fuu succeeded far better than Kana. Stout and strong the little female teemed with eager energy. But not poor Kana. He could smell the reedy female's fear all the way from the front step. She seemed so preoccupied with what they others were doing her movements suffered.

Here Haku frowned because Kenka was not among them. Looking pale and pinched with pain the tall human was seated on the red couch, watching from across the room with an uncharacteristic frown.

The object of his disapproval was Megumi.

Dressed in her second skin of teal and pink with her long hair knotted into a tight orb atop her head, the female walked with measured steps back and forth at the head of the bar like some predatory bird. She wore the same toe shoes as the other females but hers were worn from use and mended with great care. Kana faltered on a transition that looked difficult even by Haku's standards. Abruptly the reason for her apprehension became clear as Megumi barked a cold admonishment.

"Extension, Kana!"

The plain faced human paled and struggled as she corrected badly, shaking with emotion and exertion. From the bar beside her Jae glared back at Megumi but never broke his steps. She ignored him and continued to scrutinize the females' every move as if searching for the slightest misstep.

Haku was baffled.

How could someone look upon such effort with utter scorn?

Kenka saw him through the glass and brightened, waved him inside. The moment Hake entered Megumi's glare rounded on him with badly hidden contempt.

"You're late. Get dressed and warm up. You get your first taste of ballet today."

She made it seem like an impossible task, one he was doomed to fail. Haku was hard pressed not to laugh in her face. Jae had opened his mouth, probably to say something in his defense. But his friend came up short as coolly Haku absorbed her words without comment, passing her by to greet Kenka. In the mirrors he saw the anger his silent dismissal inspired as Megumi stared in outrage at his back. Shouta grinned widely, nudging Kana encouragingly. The reedy female managed a timid smile before Jae hurriedly waved them back into position as Megumi whirled on her toes counting off to the music with tightly restrained indignation.

"One, two, three!"

The tall male smiled at him apologetically as Haku joined him on the couch.

"Are you not dancing? I thought tonight was yours and Shouta's?"

"Not anymore," he murmured quietly, "I'm still having problems."

Kenka put a hand on his chest. As he did his face tightened into a forced smile that did nothing to hide the disappointment in his dark eyes. At once Haku was leaning close to his friend as if the proximity could somehow lend him strength.

"I am sorry, Kenka."

"Me too. I didn't want you to get put through the wringer on your first night."

Haku snorted. Whatever the dance may be it belonged to him already.

"Megumi does not frighten me."

Kenka lips drew into a smirk, "Think you can rub some of that off on Kana?"

Worry returned to the human's gaze as it returned to the dance floor.

Kenka cringed as again Megumi barked.

"Kana! Extension!"

This time as the female tried to correct she lost her balance in a moment of panic and stumbled out of position entirely. Shouta and Fuu both froze and glanced at Megumi nervously as Kana struggled to catch her breath.

"I can't do it!" She gasped, "It's too hard!"

"No excuses," Megumi bore down on her, "Like this."

She interjected herself at the bar and repeated every movement flawlessly given what little of this strange style of dancing Haku had seen. But she was only human. There was no life in her grace; no fire or spark; only the ease of long hard practice. But then Megumi roughly pushed Kana back to the bar, yanking her limbs into position and making the reedy woman wince.

"Turn out, Kana. I said turn out!"

Haku was on his feet without realizing it. But before he or any of the others could Jae intervened. The male physically put himself between the two females, taking Megumi with him as he pulled her off to the side by the arm. She yanked it free, rounding on him as he put hands on his hips and bent close, getting right in her face. Megumi crossed her arms and gave not an inch.

"Lay the fuck off, Meg."

"No," she hissed frostily, "She'll do it again and again until she gets it right."

Jae's temper flared as his hazel eyes flashed.

"Then take it down a level!"

"These are _basic_ drills," Megumi threw back, "Difficulty's not the problem, its her form. Her ankles wobble. Her flexibility is terrible. Her posture is weak and her extensions are terrible. She can't even turn out properly."

Standing there shaking from head to toe as Megumi tore her down bit by bit Kana finally burst into tears and fled for the locker rooms.

"Kana," Fuu ran after her friend, "Kana come back!"

"God damn it, Meg!" Shouta followed, "Why d'you have to be such a bitch!?"

As the floor emptied Megumi frowned sharply blinking as if surprised by the outcome. Pacing away Jae threw up his hands in exasperation.

"Great! That's just fuckin' great!"

Pinching the bridge of her nose Megumi showed remorse for the first time.

"Sorry... I got carried away."

Unfortunately Jae was not finished with her yet.

"This isn't the fuckin' _conservatory_ , Meg! You can't teach like that here! It doesn't work! You and I both fuckin' know that better than anyone!"

She rounded on him at a loss.

"What am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to teacher her dance if she can't hold a simple extension?!"

"For fuck's sake, Meg!" Jae laughed humorlessly, "This isn't about gettin' it right! Why can't you get that through your silly little bun."

She slapped his hand away as he straightened to prod the tight knot of her hair. Jae backpedaled as Megumi shoved him only to follow, standing on her toes to get right up in his face with an expression of furious dismay waving her hands to match his.

"You're _wasting_ yourself here with that attitude!"

Suddenly Jae tempered, shoving down all his usual explicatives as a rare and transformative patience composed his face. He put his hands on her shoulders, explaining in a quiet voice.

"None of us here will ever dance professionally. Why'd you think sensei picked us? She gets us. She gets what it's like to have the only thing you want out of reach."

Suddenly Megumi was staring up as Jae with a startlingly intense expression, appealing to him quietly the way close friends might argue. Haku had not expected this side of the sharp female. It revealed to him how little he knew of her.

"You could," Megumi hushed insistently, "There are new studios that would fall over themselves to have you."

Something she said must have struck a chord because Jae yanked back his hands and turned his back. The male's quaking shoulders bunched as his hands knotted to tight fists at his sides. Megumi took a hesitant step towards him, reaching with a worry Haku had yet to see her show for anyone else.

"Sensei said I'm here to help you," Megumi continued quietly, "I know people, Jae. I know the board can't ban you from auditions forever."

Jae brushed her hand aside as he straightened, stretched, then casually shoved his hands into his pockets. Pacing away he acted as if nothing was wrong.

"Drop that shit already, will you? If you wanna dance then go dance. M'done, so stop riding my ass."

Haku looked away as Fuu loudly cajoled from the woman's locker room.

""B-but you quit last week and the week before."

Seconds later Shouta stormed out of the women's side with his hands held up in defeat. Kana followed shortly with her bag and coat. Fuu emerged next chasing them both. The little female's wide eyes were full of apprehension.

"You always quit but then you come back. You're coming back right?"

Kana's plain face was bleak.

"No. This time I mean it."

She was across the dance floor and out the front before Jae sprinted after her.

"Kana! Goddamnit, Kana! Not this shit again...!"

Again the door slammed as the male gave chase. Megumi flinched at the sound, standing alone in the middle of the dance floor and suddenly looking terribly lost.

"She's coming back, right?"

Fuu turned to Shouta but the male was too busy pacing in the narrow hall.

"Right?"

Fuu turned to Kenka but the tall male would not meet her gaze. Haku stared at the tiny female as she appealed to him wordlessly with her sweet simple face. He unfortunately had no answer for her. Spinning on his heel Shouta ceased pacing and took a deep breath, obviously preparing to unleash a storm of angry words at Megumi. Kenka cut him off with a pointed stare. As if pricked by pin the tiny male deflated, glaring at his mate even as the tall human's silent eyes counseled patience. Fuming and seething Shouta held his tongue. As he did Megumi straightened, shaking off the moment of vulnerability she revealed a second prior.

"Back to the bar. All of you."

Shouta crossed his arms huffily and plunked down next to Kenka.

"What makes you think I want t'dance for you after all _that!_ "

"Fine," Megumi returned crisply as Kenka wilted in exasperation, "Fuu can demonstrate basic ballet positions. Her form is better than yours anyway."

Shouta stuck his tongue out at her back as Megumi turned. Haku followed Fuu to the bar; standing behind her; mimicking her stance as the tiny female smiled at him encouragingly before carefully planted her feet flat on the ground. Her heels touched and toes pointed straight out. Haku followed her example, noting from the corner of his eyes that already Megumi was frowning at him. Her frown deepened as she came over, studying him intently, especially his feet.

"Your posture is perfect… So is your turn out."

Haku resisted the urge to look at his toes.

"First position, Fuu."

Megumi ordered the tiny female without so much as a please as she stepped back and tossed her head. Haku followed the little female, smoothly bowling his arms and drifting his hands low so his fingers almost touched. Megumi's frown turned to an outright scowl as he progressed effortlessly through the increasingly difficult positions. He, however, forgot her as he focused instead on Fuu.

What strange inventions humans created. This _ballet_ was different from anything he had encountered before, especially the controlled elongated movements. Somehow he enjoyed them for they reminded him of what it was like to be long and lean and scaled again. Without hesitation he absorbed each reaching gesture; taking in every carefully placed step; soaking up all the carefully balanced pauses until they belonged to him.

"Switch!" Megumi interjected.

Quickly Haku spun on his heels so now he faced the opposite way.

He had seen the others do this earlier and his execution was flawless.

Haku saw Fuu watching him in the mirror. The tiny bow of her mouth was agape and she struggled to keep up. Growing bored Haku began to embellish; dipping elegantly into the bends; lifting his chin and standing ever so tall. This was not so hard as Kenka made it sound. It only required that he concentrate. On a whim he followed Fuu further wanting to try the moves he had seen only the females perform. He had not the shoes she wore but instead cheated a tiny bit. With a tiny shred of magic planted in the soles of his feet he rose up onto the very tips of his toes and smiled, surprised to find he enjoying was enjoying himself.

At once Megumi was shouting angrily.

"Stop! _I said stop!_ "

Haku spun on his heel to face her only to find that Fuu had long since stopped dancing. She was standing apart from Megumi glancing between them as if afraid of the blistering annoyance exuding from the sharp female.

"Have I done something wrong?" Haku inquired in a level tone.

"I thought you said you weren't classically trained?" Megumi demanded tartly.

He blinked, not knowing what she spoke of.

"No… I learn quickly."

Megumi's face went black as she lifted her chin and stood to her full height.

"No one learns _en pointe_ that fast. It's impossible!"

Haku met her accusing stare with cold indifference. Oh, how he tired of being told he was incapable. Pride kindled and smoldered crossly at the pit of his stomach. These humans knew so little of what was possible, especially this one. He would show her that impossible was possible. Standing tall at the bar Haku proved her wrong. He repeated in exact detail the sequence he had seen Jae perform; exact save for the fact that he improved on every aspect.

" _Holy shit…!"_

Haku did not know if it was Kenka or Shouta who swore in amazement; perhaps both. Glancing over the top of Fuu's head he found the males gaping at him as if he had sprouted wings. He felt the weight of the eyes upon him; heard the astonished silence he inspired. It only fueled his intentions and urged him forward. Letting go of the bar for he needed it not, Haku side stepped into a composed stance with a hand above and before him as he had seen Megumi perform for Kana. Dumbstruck, she backpedaled clumsily. Knowing he had her full attention Haku pointed out all the human's errors, correcting them before her very eyes.

"You dance with anger, Megumi-san," he pronounced quietly, "You dance to prove you are best and it poisons your every move."

He balanced there perfectly still as if a statue then melted into his own style, borrowing a bit from what he had seen today. Haku poured into each step and reach the speed, agility, and uncanny grace of what Godishness he had left. He knew with each bow and poised pause that no human could repeat the performance he now gave.

"It weighs you."

Whirling in a tight arc Haku threw himself into air and sailed over the dance floor high and light as a bird might flit over a field. He landed weightlessly only to slow, turning inward, painting with the motions of his body all of which he spoke.

"Where is your joy? Where is your compassion? Have you so little of these things that you must rob others to sustain yourself?"

Confronting her now, Haku he lapsed into stillness, becoming human once more, finding he was sweating and short of breath from exertion. Satisfaction hummed in the tips of his fingers and toes as Megumi stared up at him as if forgetting how to speak. All her criticisms were gone; her sharp admonishments forgotten. He could see in her wide brown eyes that she knew the truth of his words.

Unfortunately Megumi fled just as Kana had. Pale and shaking she ran; leaving him blinking in surprise for this is _not_ the reaction he intended. He expected her to yell and berate as was her usual response. With a sinking sense of despair he realized in effect he had just done to Megumi exactly what she had done to Kana.

Gods above, why could he not do anything right?

Turning after her with an outstretched hand Haku came up short as she disappeared into the woman's locker room. At once red in the face Haku realized he could not follow her. He cringed again as Kenka sighed gustily from the couch and turned his face into his hand. Haku turned to implore to the tall male for help but instead encountered a tiny wall of bodies.

"Kou! Kou, teach me how to jump like that!" Fuu was pulling on his arm jumping up and down, " _You flew!_ You flew just like Peter Pan!"

"Seriously!" Shouta was effusing with excitement, "How d'you dance like _that!?_ It's not humanly possible!"

Haku winced at the tiny male's comment. It was said in jest but if only he knew how close to truth he had come. Try to pass them by Haku found them unyielding.

"Please let me by," he flustered, "I must apologize to Megumi."

Shouta blinked and snorted.

"Why? She's so full of herself it's about time she got a taste of her own medicine."

As if shy of her own anger Fuu frowned and nodded solemnly.

"Shou's right, you know. She's super mean to Kana for no reason. I'm just as bad a dancer but she never picks on me."

They silenced guiltily as Megumi breezed out of the locker rooms dressed in her peacock coat and carrying an extravagant bag. Head held high and shoulders straight she left without a word or a glance by the back door. The tiny male boiled over as soon as it clicked shut.

"See?!" Shouta hissed morosely, "Princess can't even be bothered with us. Dunno why sensei picked her."

Kenka surfaced from his hands to regard his mate with a mild expression.

"You could ask the same about any of us, Sho."

 _"Bullshit!"_

Shouta threw his tiny hand right into Haku's face.

"Kou's been here _three_ days an' he fits in way better'n Meg. She's been here almost _six_ months."

Kenka's eyes darkened, "We haven't made it easy, Sho."

Shouta whirled to stamp his foot, making Fuu back away as she eyed the little human's wildly gesturing hands.

"Yes, we have! I've invited her out with us so many times but she always says no like she's too good to be seen with us! I'm tired of trying to be nice. She's a bitch t'Kana. She's been nothing but a bitch t'Kou! Yeah, she's got ballet chops. Yeah, she can bake a loaf of bread like nobody's business. But she thinks she's all that and she's not! You've seen it when she an' Jae dance! Her partnering skills _suck!_ "

Looking unsure and out of place Fuu came to sit beside Kenka. As if second nature the tall human absently lifted his arm so the little female could scoot closer to him.

"Stop yelling," she murmured quietly, tucking up her knees, "I hate it when you fight."

"I'm not yelling," Shouta's voice shot up an octave, "And we're not fighting!"

"Look," Kenka interjected as his patience wore thin, "I'm just trying to get you to see her perspective."

Shouta tossed out his hip and uttered a humorless laugh.

"Why t'hell would I want t'do that? People like her are the reason I stopped dancing ballroom. Why t'hell would I want to see the world from their perspective!?"

"Nevermind, Sho," Kenka loosed another long suffering sigh and put his face back in his hand, "Nevermind."

Shame burned Haku in the silence that followed.

It drove him out the back door with a swiftness no human could match.

Barefoot and wearing little to guard against the biting cold he ignored the frosty night. All it took was a quick glance at his compass and off he sprinted fitting his glasses to his nose. Through the trees the enchanted lenses directed his eyes until he saw her. Haku caught up to Megumi beneath the humming orange lamp lights flooding the empty path leading toward the subway stations. No fear of spiders here as the whole path was humming with the electricity that coursed through the wires draped between the poles overhead.

"Megumi-san!"

The wind of his making blew by him as he called out. His words became a white cloud before his face it was so cold. She startled violently, slipping on some ice as she dropped her bag. He picked it up for her and held it out as she straightened. Her hair had come loose from her bun and fell around her pale pinched face in messy tangles. Gone was the cool haughty mask she put forward. Red nosed from the tear still clinging to her lashed she offered him another glimpse of the lonely fearful girl he had seen on the dance floor. Then she was gone.

Megumi's eyes flashed with fury as she recognized him. She snatched her bag out of his hands and stalked away.

"I wish to apologize," Haku continued helplessly as he strode along side her.

She tossed her head dismissively, not even looking at him.

"Just go away!"

Haku put himself right in her path making her stop in her tracks.

Again she was staring at his bare feet with a stunned expression.

At least she was standing still.

"Apologies, Megumi-san. I did not mean to be cruel."

"You weren't," she answered with unflinching directness, lifting her eyes to burn him with the weight of her angry gaze, "Everything you said about me was true. But that doesn't change the fact that you'rea thief and a liar."

Haku shrank from the words as they slapped him in the face. He had not been expecting them. They lay him bare and Megumi saw. At once she transformed with righteous anger, forcing him to retreat.

"Don't think I haven't missed the bread or the cheese and eggs that were missing from the pantry this morning or the green towels missing from the girl's locker room! Everyone else may be falling in love with you left and right but I see you for _exactly_ what you are _._ "

She jabbed her finger into his chest hard enough to make him flinch.

"I don't know what you did to make you want to lie about who you are so bad but I don't care! There's _no_ way you can dance the way you do without training! So you can keep playing your little game. You can only charm sensei and Origa for so long! Everyone's going to figure you out soon enough."

Tossing her head she shouldered her bag and straightened her shoulders all the while glaring at him with such caustic loathing he put up his hands to ward off what felt like eminent attack.

"I'm watching you. If you do anything to hurt any of them I'll make you wish you were never born. In the meantime stay away from me. Don't talk to me; don't even look at me. I don't like you. In fact I think I _hate_ you. So keep your goddamn apologies and get out of my way."

Pushing past Haku could only stare after her in silence.

She melted down the flight of stairs leading to the road below.

He shivered as a cold wind blew right through him from behind.

It ripped from him all his warmth but gave him something in return.

Eerie premonition hummed in the very fibers of his being as the enchanted glasses perched on his nose directed him to watched Megumi from afar. His eyes strained painfully as at once they were pointed at the approaching car. Megumi saw it as well and she stopped to wait at the cross-walk, watching the scattered handful of cars pas. Baffled by the strange messages being foisted upon him again his eyes flashed elsewhere against his will giving him a splitting headache and making it impossible to think.

A young man on a bicycle approached and he was forced to stare at it.

What danger could there be in a bicycle?!

The light changed to red as the young man passed Megumi.

She stepped into the street and her skirt flipped in the wind.

Obviously distracted the man on the bike looked back only to loose control.

He skipped off the curb into the street.

A car rounded the corner as was custom in Tokyo: far too fast.

A horn blared in Haku's ears so loudly it shook his bones.

The car swerved into the empty opposite lane.

Lights illuminated Megumi as she froze in its path.

Tires squealed and skidded on ice.

Before he knew it Haku was shoving her out of the way.

Instinct swallowed him whole as the car lights blinded him. Metal crunched and glass shattered, silencing strangely as the car slammed into him. Scooped off of his feet he suddenly became weightless. He rolled; tumbling up the windshield as it splintered behind his back. He vaulted off the roof, watching calmly as it swerved by beneath him. Haku landed on his feet in the middle of the road as the vehicle slammed into one of the light capped poles with such force it snapped at the base.

Down it crashed like a felled monster as the sparking iris of it malevolently glowing eye blinked into darkness, pulling them all into the swallowing black of night. The towering trunk of steal would have fallen straight across the car, crushing the driver and Megumi both had he not jumped high to catch it. Mid-air he shoved it hard with his body and a blast of wind, sending it careening aside. In a riot of wind he touched down with it still in his grasp, easing it to the pavement only to stand shakily.

Haku startled as Megumi stood beside him trembling violently.

She had been cowering on ground just there.

He had not seen her until now.

They stared at each other in the dark with the same look of consternation.

"A-are you alright?" He hushed beneath his breath.

He did not hear her answer as the world tipped slightly.

He realized he could not see properly.

Something was in his eye.

Wiping his face his hand came away red.

Blood: he stared at it stupidly.

Then he passed out.


	41. Chapter 41

**HAKU**

" _Nigihayami! Nigihayami!?"_

Terrible painful lights flashed inside his head as Kubi shook him. He could not fight off her hands this time for he knew not where they were. Pain invaded his head each time he opened his eyes so he chose to keep them closed. Somewhere in all of this Haku was terribly annoyed. This was the second time this had happened.

"Must you shake me, Kubi-san!?" Haku demanded weakly.

At once he fell still against the cold flat asphalt. She breathed a sigh of relief, bowing her head against his chest as the smell of wood smoke made him gag.

"You _idiot!_ " She muttered, "I can't leave you alone for a second, can I?"

"What should I do, Kubi!?" Karasu fretted in a panic, "Tell me what to do!"

Haku could hear the rattling clang of all the bits and bangles on the bird's coat. He also heard the swift approaching scream of sirens.

"Air raid…" Haku murmured foggily, thinking of Okesa.

"Get his other arm, you big baby," Kubi instructed calmly, "Bozu, get the human. We need to move before the ambulances show up."

"Shhh! _Shhh!_ " Bozu cajoled Megumi to silence, "Take Bozu's hand. Come quick now. Come. Come."

Megumi gasped somewhere and a spike of fear threading through his addled head. But he forgot his worry as they lifted him.

At once he was back on the stones beside the sea.

Every bone in his body strained and twisted only to snap and shatter.

The pain was excruciating and he cried out in agony.

By some small blessing he lost consciousness.

For a moment forgot the hateful hiss of the ocean.

Then he woke in a terror as water surged around him.

Buoying him up, it roared in his ears.

He was drowning.

Rejected and set upon by the element he once commanded.

Blind and terrified, he suffocated on the air realizing it was only air. Sitting up into strong arms that held him firmly; absorbing his struggles until he subsided. and blinking rapidly Haku realized he was back in his apartment. But still he could smell the salt; he could feel it sullying his skin. He could taste it on his lips and tongue. Oh, the horrors of it!

" _I am drowning, Kubi!"_ Haku choked hoarsely, _"I am drowning!"_

"You're not drowning, you idiot," Kubi hushed soothingly, "See?"

She withdrew enough to let him stare around the tiny room. Haku blinked uncomprehending, shrinking as faces pressed in on him. God children hovered at the foot of his bed as if anxious to see him. Sumirei picked up Kitten as he silently tugged on her sleeve insistently. As she lifted him so he could see every hair on the poor youngling's body stood on end as the cat's eyes dilated. Gohan waved uncertainly as if unsure of what to say to him, poking Grandpa Bean, who was peering inside his kettle as if worried his beans had gone missing.

"Eh?" The old kami looked up blinked enormous eyes, "Did I miss something?"

As Gohan sighed in exasperation and rolled his eyes Kitten pointed at Haku making agile motions with his hands. These Sumirei watched intently, translating shyly.

"Kitten wants to know if you're okay, Mr. Dragon."

"I am fine," he murmured diffidently.

" _Liar!"_ Kubi shot back in a low voice, obviously furious.

The God children retreated from her anger, dragging Grandpa Bean with them.

Haku cringed from the word.

He had been called by that name too many times tonight.

Roughly Kubi took back her hands to shake out the contents of his tatter cloak on the bed beside them. Haku startled, patting the front of his shirt and realizing she had taken it from him. Sputtering in outrage he looked on wordlessly all the secret private treasures Onsen had given him tumbled onto the mattress; the pouch of salt; the coil of rice rope; the pitch, flint and striker. The umbrella clattered to the floor as the pages of rice paper scattered. His anger derailed as he noticed the sack of camphor leaves was gone. Aki had stolen them! Luckily the motorcycle was still parked at the base of the stone stairs else it would have tumbled out and crushed him!

Angered anew he opened his mouth to protest only to wince into silence as his keys and the gourd bounced off his mask. The camphor water sloshed hollowly before Kubi snatched it up, tossing his cloak onto the floor. Uncorking it with her teeth she soaked the corner of her trailing kimono sleeve. Haku startled again as she yanked off his glasses and tossed them as well. Rusty brown smeared the lenses.

" _Ouch!"_ He flinched away, putting up his hands, _"It stings!"_

"Of course it stings! You're bleeding like a sieve!"

Red stained the fabric of her sleeve as she brusquely wiped his face and forehead. The sight of the blood brought him to stillness.

"What were you thinking sticking your neck out like that for a human?!"

Haku did not like the dismissive way she said _human_ , as if they were insects or trifling creatures to be ignored.

"It would have killed Megumi," Haku muttered.

"And it could've killed _you!_ " Kubi returned viciously.

Angry words flared in his chest, slipping through his clenched teeth like smoke. Slapping her hand aside he raged in her face.

"God or human: it matters not to me! She is one of mine and I protect what is mine! I am not as fragile as you think me to be, Kubi-san! I have survived far worse!"

She snorted as if amused for the briefest moment by his outburst.

Deflated by her response, Haku could only blink.

"That's the God in you talking," She returned with quiet severity, "You're not all God anymore, Nigihayami. You're the best and worst of both. So next time you decide to do something heroically _stupid_ remember we need you to live."

Kubi burned him with the intensity of her eyes. Haku looked away finding he was incapable of meeting the complicated emotions that slowly revealed themselves there. Unfazed, Kubi moved to the gashes on his shoulder and arm, gently washing away the wounds with the camphor water and handling him carefully if he were a child. He let her, not about to tell her he was grateful for her ministrations. Haku tried not to flinch and cringe as she picked out tiny pieces of glass, carefully dropping them onto one of the errant pieces of the rice paper she had scattered earlier.

Looking over Kubi's shoulder he a caught a glimpse of peacock and froze. Pressed into the very opposite corner of the room farthest from them as if she could melt through the wall into the other room Megumi stood staring. She had turned her head away and was staring from the corner of her terror struck eyes. They were perfectly round and perfectly brown but she saw them all the same; _all_ of them. Bozu glanced at him mildly pausing from patted the human's hand consolingly, struggling to keep Karasu's battered bowler hat from swamping his tiny head.

"Pretty human, okay, stupid dragon. Not worry. Bozu take care of her."

Haku's eyes shot to the door as distantly there was a scuffle on the stairs.

"Dude, get out of our way!" Kenka thundered with uncharacteristic fury

" _Haw!"_ Karasu snapped back, "Kubi said you can't come up!"

"If he got hit by a _car_ he needs to go t'the hospital!" Kana threw in just as angry.

"It wouldn't help," The crow argued helplessly, loosing his angry edge.

"What the _hell_ d'you think hospitals are for!?" Shouta shouted.

"H-hospitals're no good t'our kind."

" _What t'fuck is that s'posed to mean!?"_ Jae demanded acidly.

"Please, Mr. Bird?" Fuu wheedled, "Please just let us see him?"

"Kubi! Kubi!?" Karasu wailed, "I don't wanna hurt 'em! What should I do!?"

" _That's it,"_ Jae barked furiously, _"Get t'fuck outta our way!"_

Karasu uttered a painful squawked as a meaty thwack echoed up from below.

Feet pounded in the stairwell.

" _They're coming up, Kubi!"_ Karasu wailed.

Whirling towards the door Kubi frowned in dismay.

" _Hide!"_ She commanded in a hiss.

Bozu dropped Megumi's hands and disappeared in a blot of shadows as he yanked on his cloak. So did the other Gods. She shrank and cringed, sidling for the door as one by one they winked into obscurity. Megumi recoiled again as the dance studio humans invaded his tiny room only to come up short. They took in the strange tableau with an eerie silence that filled Haku with frozen dread. He watched their eyes dart from the bloody mess on his bed to Megumi. Finally they all stared at Kubi and they saw her, bloody kimono sleeves and all.

"Hey!" Shouta hushed, "That's the weird lady from the book signing."

"Yeah," Fuu whispered back, "I've seen her before with the bird guy and the kids sometimes after studio by the shrine."

"Why'd you keep calling him that?!"

"'Cause he's a bird, silly. He's a big black bird."

Kubi stood slowly, obviously shocked to be seen. She and Jae glared at each other as if squaring off for a fight. What a sight that would have been: Kubi in her kimono beating Jae senseless. The hazel eyed human glanced at Megumi as she sidled by Kubi on shaking legs, giving the God woman a wide berth before pushing her way into the crowd of humans. Jae frowned at her worriedly as she joined them.

"You okay, Meg?"

"I'm fine," she choked hoarsely, "Excuse me!"

Refusing to meet any of their questioning stares she shoved her way between them and fled the apartment. Though Kana looked after the female with a bitter glare Jae's face tightened into all kind of confusion and he gritted his jaw, obviously torn between following her and remaining. Turning back to Kubi who now stood between Haku and the humans almost protectively Jae scowled at the God woman furiously.

"I don't care if you're a chick, you're gonna move or am I gonna make you!"

As Kubi tightened her fists Haku hastily intervened.

"They are also mine, Kubi."

She flashed an irritated scowl over her shoulder.

"You keep strange company, Nigihayami."

Kenka's face wiped blank at the name. He repeated it in a stunned hush.

" _Nigihayami…?!"_

Haku glanced at Kenka sharply only to watch as the human's eyes went wide. As if he had pressed the button on the clock that was not a clock the world seemed to freeze in place as slowly but surely understanding dawned on Kenka. All the little truths Haku had revealed to the male suddenly gathered and snapped together until Kenka was looking right at him and seeing him as if for the first time.

Cold invaded Haku, blowing through him and leaving him exposed as Kenka blinked rapidly. Helplessly Haku stared back as understanding tore the human in two, trapping him in the inhospitable limbo that existed between belief and denial. Haku's heart constricted with misery as fear soaked through the tall male's face. There was nothing Haku could do as Kenka took a step away from him. Turning, the human melted out the door unbeknownst to the others. Sitting there like a dumb stone Haku watched him go. Luckily none of the other humans seemed to share Kenka's revelation. They were too caught up in the mystery Kubi offered.

Oblivious, Shouta plowed onward, confronting Kubi saucily.

"Oh, _we're_ the strange ones! When's the last time you looked in the mirror?!"

"Who t'fuck r'you anyway!?" Jae cut in.

"I'm a friend," Kubi threw back in her matter-of-fact way, "Who're you?"

Jae did not even hesitate to answer.

"Friends!"

This was swiftly moving beyond his ability to correct. Struggling to his feet Haku put up his hands trying to diffuse the situation.

"I am alright. Please, do not worry."

Again he tipped unsteadily and betrayed his lie. These past few days had been hard and he had little strength left. Suddenly he doubted his ability to continue like this; he doubted his ability to be both kami and human. He knew not if he could endure such constant trials. Kubi was forced to catch him otherwise he would have fallen. Hurriedly she returned him to a seat on the edge of the bed as the humans flooded closer. Squeezing his eyes shut against the nausea threatening him with sickness Haku clung to the edge of the bed trying not to pass out again.

" _See!?_ He needs to go the hospital!" Kana cut in anxiously.

"If its money that's the problem we'll pay the bills," Shouta added quickly.

"No hospitals…" Haku choked as he opened his eyes.

Kana was still wearing her toe shoes. Haku stared at the pink satin as the hazy in his head slowly passed by. Sighing in gust exasperation Kubi explained for him.

"If you just leave us alone he'll be fine in a few minutes! If he goes to the hospital there will be questions! Stupid human questions he won't be able to answer! Nigihayami doesn't want to lie."

"Why d'you keep calling him that!?" Shouta demanded hotly.

"Because that's his name!" Kubi spat the truth without thinking.

Fuu gasped then began yanking on Shouta's arm as she jumped up and down.

" _He's not a ghost! He's not a ghost!"_

"Knock it off, Fuu!"

Shouta yanked back his arm almost angrily only to have her grab it again. Her wide eyes were bright with ecstatic exultation as she craned her neck around the others to see him.

"Nigihayami Kouhaku Nushi!" She whispered, "Nigihayami _Kou_ haku Nushi!"

Haku moaned and bent his face into his hands as she pronounced his true name and knew him just as Kenka had. As he did something changed in the world around him. Premonition fell upon him from above with such crushing force. Haku was surprised he did not crumble to the bed as unknown sorrow took him. The sourceless stunning sense of loss that invaded him was terrifying. He knew in that moment, knew with absolute certainty that there was no going back from here. All the same he struggled to fight his way free of the omen back to the matter at hand as again feet pounded up the stairs.

Someone shoved their way between the humans.

Haku looked up as they parted, making way for Chihiro.

She froze upon seeing him, sucking in her gasping breath.

He forgot everything as her terrified brown eyes consumed him.

He stared, reaching stupidly without knowing it, wanting her so very badly.

She spilled forward, falling as his feet.

" _Out!"_ Kubi barked at the others, _"All of you out!"_

She herded them from the room, leaving them in stunning silence.

* * *

 **CHIHIRO**

Standing in the middle of the empty dance studio Chihiro fidgeted uncomfortably. The lights were on. The door was unlocked. Classical music was still playing loudly. She was late, but not _that_ late. It was only 7:00 PM. It was starting to get super creepy all alone in this place. She had the strange feeling eyes were watching her. Glancing over her shoulder she cringed from the blots of shadow in the corners of the room. Was her mind playing tricks on her or were they moving when she wasn't looking? She shivered because it was really cold in here. Where was everyone?

She jumped as her phone rang, meowing loudly. The soot sprite lanyard danced and spun as she yanked it out of her purse.

" _Goddamnit, Chihiro!"_ The Goth vented as she answered, not even trying to hide how angry she was, "There's _nowhere_ around here t'park the stupid car!"

Michio had driven her over, dropping her off at the mouth of the park so she could hurry up to apologize for being late. Shouta wasn't answering his phone. For all she knew he probably put it on silent during their studio classes. Michio went off to look for parking close to the restaurant so they could bring up all the stuff Chihiro'd packed earlier. After moving into the Aoyama house they had two of everything anyway. Bed linens, towels, kitchen ware, and coffee pot: all things Kou needed. It's not like they could give it away to Good Will. Tokyo was particularly weird about used items. Second hand stores were far and few between.

"I still can't believe you're doing this!" Michio continued to complain angrily from the other end of the line.

"It's not like I'm moving in with him…"

In a way she was. She'd brought all of her best things.

"This is still a dumb idea, Chihiro. Guys get totally freaked out when you stake a claim in their territory."

"Look," Chihiro snapped back, "I already asked it this was okay and he said yes!"

"Whatever. Enjoyed your fairy tale while it lasts," Michio blew her off passive aggressively, "Where's that stupid alley you said leads up to the back!?"

Chihiro wilted, pacing as she tried to hold her temper in check.

"You know the road the goes alone the pond? There's a Buddhist temple in the middle. The alley should be on the right just past it. Thank you for helping me, Michi."

Michio passed over the thanks, sounding awkward and contrite as she continued.

"I can't get through, looks like there was an accident."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Somebody hit a street lamp. There's a fire truck and an ambulance."

A strange cold pricked the inside Chihiro's chest as she came to the back window. She couldn't see anything through the thick wall of black trees. She blinked, looking down into the courtyard as she found people illuminated beneath the yellow floodlights. A guy in a long tattered black coat with a Mohawk was sitting cross legged on the frozen ground. The guy was hugging a kid in a marshmallow jacket with extremely pale hair like he was a teddy bear. The kid didn't seem to mind. He comforted Mohawk dude as the guy cringed from a girl in a red coat about Satako's age. She held his upturned chin, gently dabbing at his bloody nose with a handkerchief. An equally young boy in an old wrinkled suit and battered fedora stood watch beside them, nervously scanning the park as if afraid of something.

As she studied them Chihiro found herself frowning.

None of them were wearing shoes.

She blinked as a fifth person appeared, melting into existence out of the thick shadows cast by the floodlights. At first she thought he was a kid but something told her he wasn't. He moved too surely and stood to still. That and he was wearing old style kimono and haori. Those were old man clothes. No self-respecting kid now a-days would let their parents dress him like that. There was something wrong with his hands as the little fellow tipped back the huge bowler hat on his head, looking right at her with a single bright eye. Without a word the strange guy pointed at her. As if they'd all received some silent signal the rest of the strangers all looked up at her in perfect unison.

She jolted back out of view.

Her heart was suddenly pounding in her chest.

She shuddered as an eerie tingle crawled over her skin.

"Hey? Hey!?" Michio yelled over the phone Chihiro'd forgotten she still held to her ear, "You there!?"

"S-sorry, Michi, I got distracted."

"I can get through it's just going to take a bit. I see the alley but it's a mess down here. Be there in ten."

"Kay…"

Chihiro didn't even hear her. Stowing her phone in her pocket she was already out the back door and coming down the back stairs. The kids were gone as she reached the bottom but Mohawk guy was on his feet still pinching his nose with the lacy handkerchief. He was on his feet staring at her as if stunned, taking a few lock-legged steps away all the while watching cagily with a cocked eye the way a bird might. All kinds of junk were strung up to the lapels of his jacket: bits of blue glass, bottle caps, and tiny bones. They rattled like wind chimes. Chihiro shivered violently, hugging herself because it was _freezing_! The guy, however, was wearing shorts! His clothes were in tatters and she found herself gawking at his bare feet.

"Aren't you cold?!"

Her breath blew out in a stiff cloud of white. His didn't.

"Haw," he coughed shyly, making her jump. It was the same sound a crow might make, "N-nah… M'okay."

He was still staring at her askance like she was the weird looking one! Recognition sparkled brightly in his strange black eyes as he cocked his head curiously.

"You're Chihiro, huh?"

She was a bit taken back by the fact that he knew her.

"Um… Yeah? H-how'd you know my name?"

"He talks about you all the time."

Mohawk dude took his hand away from his nose to motion at Kou's apartment. As he took away his hand Chihiro realize the poor guy was also sporting a black eye. She frowned, still not sure what to make of him.

"Are you a friend of Kou's?"

"Kou?" He blinked birdishly before breaking into a goofy smile as he shuddered and flustered his coat, "Oh, you mean Nigihayami? Yeah. He feeds us."

She blinked and blinked at the name. It made that strange bell hum in her chest sleepily.

"D-did you just say Nigihayami?"

As he opened his mouth to say something the guy startled as Jae shouted loudly from above. Chihiro looked up to the apartment sharply and found light spilling through the window. More angry voices echoed down the stairs.

"Haw!" He croaked again, shrinking back into the shadows, sidling away sideways as if afraid, "He's okay, by the way. He got hit but t'car didn't really hurt him."

" _W-what!?"_

Chihiro threw her attention back at Mohawk dude only to find he was gone.

Spinning in a circle she found the courtyard completely empty.

Then she was up the stairs. The door was open, spilling light onto the landing. A wall of bodies blocked her way but she shoved between them only to come up short as she saw him. He was sitting on the edge of the bed bent and pale as if sick to his stomach. He clung to the bloody sleeve of a strange woman in a kimono of all things. There was blood matted in his hair and face! Blood on the pale of his skin! On his shirt and pants! On the bed! But he lifted his head through obvious pain. Relief struck him as he saw her. He reached for her, gritting his teeth as he strained to lift out his arms. Her trembling legs carried her right to his bare feet.

" _Out! All of you out!"_

Chihiro shrank from the commanding crack of kimono woman's voice, cringing into Kou as he collected her close, bowing his head until it was pillowed on her shoulder. She watched as Jae, Shouta, Fuu, and Kana withdrew grimly before throwing her attention back to Kou. As he sagged against her shoulder a bucket of cold panic dumped over her head, making her insides seized with fright. She cast about for something to do only to startle, looking up to find kimono woman standing over them with crossed arms. Chihiro shrank, realizing her trailing sleeves were stained red with blood. Like Mohawk guy her feet were bare.

"Before you throw a tantrum like the rest you should know he's fine."

Her hair was done up like the old styles in wood block prints and her perfectly white face might have been painted that color for all she knew. Her pale pink lips were drawn into a dour line. Chihiro flinched as her eyes flashed like mirrors! They bore down on her studying with an intensity that burned. It became bitter cold in the room as she squirmed beneath the stranger's scrutiny realizing she knew this woman somehow. Chihiro stared back growing angry, opening he mouth and breathing out a cloud of white.

"Who are you!?"

The woman's eyes narrowed as she breathed out an exasperated sigh. It didn't plume white at all and smelled strongly of the herby wood smoke scent that seemed to permeate the whole building. She didn't answer the question.

"He's gonna be sore and tired for a few days."

 _"B-but he's bleeding!"_

Kimono woman cut her off with a dismissive wave of her pale hand.

"It's old blood. The wounds have all closed up. See for yourself."

She was right. Upon closer inspection of Kou's bare shoulder she couldn't find any cuts or scrapes, only drying blood. Chihiro looked at the bizarre woman blankly.

"I… I don't understand?"

The woman sneered, revealing her teeth were completely black. A flash a fear threaded its way up Chihiro's spine as she leaned closer.

"You wouldn't, would you?"

Kou's hands tightened on Chihiro's shoulders as he straightened with difficulty to glare back disapprovingly. Kimono woman turned away nonchalantly as if she'd done nothing wrong; pulling a pipe from her sleeve she stuffed it casually.

"I will tolerate no discourtesy toward Chihiro, Kubi."

Chihiro blinked. This was a new side of him. Up until now Kou'd always been meek and shy. Now he commanded with an authority that crackled in his frosty voice. Without a backward glance Kubi left in a curl of tobacco smoke.

"W-what happened!?" Chihiro demanded as soon as the door shut.

"I was struck by a car," he wilted as if ashamed, "It could not be helped."

 _Hit by a car!_ Her mind recoiled from the thought. At once she was flustering over him only to fall still as he pressed her hands to his chest, appealing to her for calm with his jade eyes even though his heart was beating so very swiftly.

"Truly, dear one, I am fine. It is as Kubi says."

Chihiro stared at him as he smoothed his hands over her hair. They both jumped as a loud meow sounded between them. Kou jerked back, holding her at arm's length as he stared askance at her pocket. Fumbling with the phone she silenced it. Seconds later it meowed again, buzzing simultaneously as it received another incoming call then one text after another. With an exasperated sigh she ripped it out and opened the message.

In all caps the message repeated over and over.

 _GET OUT HERE NOW!_

Chihiro stared at it stupidly, jumping as Kou inquired quietly.

"Is it Michio?"

"Y-yeah, how'd you guess?"

She laughed awkwardly only to falter as she found him frowning.

"S-sorry, she's outside. Um, I'll be back in a second, okay?"

His green eyes had skated aside, staring off into nothing as if seeing something that seriously freaked him out. Before she could asked him about it he startled her with a kiss. Desperately he poured his affection over her only to draw back too quickly for her to respond. On his feet with surprising quickness he lurched away favoring his arm.

"Forgive me, Chihiro, but I must shower," he murmured, "I abhor the smell of blood."

Shakily she stood and stared after him as the bathroom door clicked shut.

The same pinch of cold constricted in her heart as she heard angry voices from the dance studio next door. Out of the apartment and back into the empty courtyard she glanced up at the back window and saw Fuu staring out the window with a long suffering expression. Her fingers were plugged in her ears. She blinked and freed a hand waved vigorously as Chihiro headed for the stone stairs.

Baffled she paused at the stop to wave back before turning and finding Michio was standing at the bottom of the stone stairs. Pale and uncharacteristically silent, her friend pointed down the alley, indicating something in the dark. Chihiro glanced to where the Audi's headlights illuminated an old motorcycle. _That was it!? A stupid old motorcycle!?_ Chihiro stormed down the stairs ready to thoroughly bitch out her friend only to realize it had a side car. As Chihiro came to stillness in the middle of the steps Michi came up the rest and thrust her cell phone into her hands.

A picture was displayed on its face.

Chihiro recognized the old road at the base of the hill by the hinoki tree.

Chihiro remembered that summer day when they found the creepy old motorcycle.

Michio had taken pictures with her phone.

"It's the _same_ license plate number!" Michi hissed grimly, "I saw someone, remember?! In the trees watching us! I _knew_ I'd seen him somewhere else before and he lied about it! That's why he was acting so funny! He knows I've seen him before!"

Chihiro passed Michio by ignoring everything she was saying.

Like she was dreaming she came down the stairs to stare at the bike.

So rusty the olive paint pocked and peeled; duct tape patched seat; squeeze horn.

The license plate was from Izu.

It was straight off the pages of her story; exactly as she pictured it; every detail.

Michio was at her elbow; pulling on it insistently as if afraid she was too close. Her friend was genuinely afraid now. Her voice shook and she whispered as if afraid of who might be listening.

"Your parent's house got broken into the next day, right!?"

"Wait in the car," Chihiro commanded quietly.

"But he's been _stalking_ you, Chihiro!"

" _I SAID WAIT IN THE CAR!"_

Chihiro thundered as she ripped herself out of Michio's grip shoving the phone back into her hands. Chihiro clambered up the steps only to fall at the top. Shouta helped her up, frowning uncertainly as if he heard her shouting.

"What t'hell's going on, Chihiro? Who're you yelling at?"

"Who's bike is that?" She choked hoarsely pointing meaninglessly.

"Huh? The old one? It's Kou's. Why?"

Blindly she shoved him out of the way and was up the stairs to the apartment. The bathroom door was closed. The shower was on. She stopped, hanging in the doorway light headed and close to hyperventilating only to find herself staring at the shoes by the front door. Crouching there she picked one up. They were laced Oxfords; the only shoe her dad would wear; too nice and too new to be Kou's. Rushing to the closet she ripped it open. There wasn't much inside but she recognized a pair of pants and button up shirt. Snatching up the pants she shook them out and found them huge, much too big to be Kou's.

Her parent's house had been broken into the day after she left for Tokyo.

The burglar didn't take anything expect a pair of shoes, a shirt, and pants.

Sniffing them she recoiled. However distantly they smelled just like her dad.

Whirling away she shrank from the bathroom door as it opened. He emerged wearing an antique kimono. It was green; making his eyes eerily intense. He stopped as he saw the shoe and pants in her hands. He didn't look surprised, not at all. At once he was shaking as if he'd expect this, trembling from head to toe as he fell on his knees. Like this was all some kinda fucked up samurai movie he bowed! As she stared at him he became a stranger.

"Who are you!?" She choked "Tell me the truth!"

He flinched as she spoke, speaking in a ragged whisper.

"Even now after everything I have told you… You do not remember me…"

Staring at him not knowing what to think or feel Chihiro didn't know what to do.

"No," She hushed in a flat voice, wavering on the brink of tears.

He fell still at the word, pulling himself together and dashing a hand across his cheeks slowly he sat back onto his heels. He gazed up at her with his otherworld green eyes. Before they were beautiful but now they terrified her. They almost seemed to glow in the caustic light of the single bare bulb.

"You know my name, Chihiro. I lost it once but you remembered if for me. You have forgotten so I give it back to you. My name is Nigihayami Kouhaku."

She stumbled back.

The name hit her physically.

It struck something inside her like it had earlier.

She rang; rang like a big brass bell!

She barely heard him over the overwhelming reverberation.

He was speaking with chilling calm, telling her impossible things.

"Everything I told you is true. I followed you here after you forgot me. Even though still you do not remember know that I love you. I will love you forever, Chihiro, from this life into the next."

Dropping the shirt and the shoes she recoiled from him only to turn as see the things scattered across the bed and floor. Her eyes riveted on the mask. She reached for it without realizing it. It was a dragon mask; pale with opalescence like the shell around her neck.

 _Not a shell_.

Mrs. Nikkou had said in the beginning of her second book.

 _It's a scale._

Chihiro put a violently trembling hand to where the scale hung around her neck only to find it searing cold. She cringed as the scar on her leg burned. In her story it was where one of Forgotten touched her. In her story Haku had similar scars on his chest. Throwing her eyes back to him Chihiro found he had risen, hovering with his hands outreached as if longing to help her some how. He was looking at her with such overwhelming sadness her knees went weak. Everything was written on his face. Everything! Even now he couldn't lie to her. He was incapable of it. Gods can't lie. _Gods can't lie!_

"Please, Chihiro!" He begged quietly, reaching for her with shaking hands, "Please remember me!"

Time just seemed to stop as thoughts churned through her head, sweeping her away in the deluge, because if this was real then everything else had to be real. She didn't want monsters to be real! She didn't want magic to be just as useless as technology! She didn't want Gods to be fallible and cruel! She didn't want to live in such an impossibly terrifying world! _She didn't want it to be true!_

Chihiro hadn't realized she had run until she slipped on the top stair.

She scooted down the next few on her butt before sprinting down the rest.

Chihiro ran across the stone courtyard; down the stone steps.

At the bottom she threw herself into the back seat of the car.

As it car roared away Chihiro began sobbing uncontrollably.

Curling up into a ball on the back seat she cried.

Chihiro cried like she had on the day her parents moved to their new house.

 _"What t'fuck, Chihiro!? Did he hurt you?! Are you okay!?"_ Michio demanded from the front seat, "I'm gonna fuckin' kill 'im. I'm gonna bury him in the backyard under that _stupid_ willow tree and don't you dare try t'stop me!"

Even now all she could see was his face, his sweet desperate face.

She loved him even without knowing who he was.

It felt like she was being torn into two pieces.

There was no way to have both.

She had to choose.

 _"Pinch me!"_ Chihiro choked.

"Huh?"

 _"Just pinch me!"_

As they lurched to stop at a red light Michio did. She reached back and pinched the soft flesh on Chihiro's arm so hard she kicked the back of the seat. She stared at the red welt it left behind, rubbing the mark as once her insides fell still.

What if it was real?

Not the magic, monsters, and Gods, but everything else?

The Onsen was real.

The motorcycle was real.

Hidé had been real.

What else was real?

Lifting her eyes she stared out the windows at the icy Ueno streets. She gawked up at the towering electric buildings with their Technicolor eyes and humming veins of electricity. Slowly so many things began to click into place; the way he looked at her the first time they met; her immediately intense feeling for him; the way he seemed to know everything about him. Maybe there was a real person she'd based Haku's character on? Could she have forgotten him along with everyone else after the accident?!

 _Oh, Gods! Oh, Gods!_

"I'm not dreaming, Michio," Chihiro whispered, "I think this is real."

The car behind them honked. The light had long since turned green and Michio punched the gas. Chihiro scrambled to buckle herself in as they rocketed forward. Michio drove angrily, cutting people off and punching the horn as she veered off the main road and pulled to a tire squealing stop. The startled patrons of the adjacent Starbuck peered at them curiously from the shop's front window as Michi slapped on the emergency blinkers.

"Chihiro," Michio stammered angrily as she gripped the wheel, refusing to look back at her, "You're seriously scaring the _shit_ outta me!"

Chihirio's cell rang, scaring them both. It played the _hard work_ theme from the Spirited Away Soundtrack. It was Lydia's ring tone and she fought to pull it from her pocket.

"H-hello?!"

"Chihiro, its Lydia."

Her personal assistant was strangely calm, far too calm. Immediately Chihiro knew something was wrong.

"What happened!?"

There was a pause on the other side as if she'd startled Lydia.

"I got a call from a woman named Hayashimi today. She says she works at your Onsen. She called the front office number and I've been in meetings all day so I didn't get the message until just now."

Chihiro fell perfectly still at the name, not hearing anything else as again that stupid bell rang in her ears. It was Kou's older sister's name and she repeated it stupidly.

"Her name is Hayashimi?"

"Yes," Lydia continued quietly, "She called with sad news, Chihiro. Reika Nikkou, the old woman you bought the Onsen from? She died today. The Onsen staff would like you to come back to Izu for the funeral."

Reika Nikkou. She passed over _died_ and _funeral_ as she forced herself forward to face the fact that Mrs. Nikkou had been a real person. Chihiro was left blinking rapidly as distantly that crazy bell tolled. She glanced around in distraction, wondering for a moment if it was real or really just inside her head.

"The staff?"

Her personal assistant continued with uncharacteristic awkwardness.

"That's right. You may not remember but you might have been close to the workers. Hayashimi made it sound like that was the case. This might help; I have the list of employee names you asked for a while back."

The sound of shuffling papers came from the other side.

"Aniyaku. Natsumi. Hiko. Ginka. Yoshi. Um, I'm not sure about this one… Little Green Frog? That must be a nickname. Usagi. Amano Tetsuo. Hmm… He's the only one with a last name."

At once Chihiro began to shake as her head reeled as the bell rang louder and louder, tolling with each name. Hazy faced flashed in her memory and she struggled to pull them from the fiction she had created to mask the pain of reality. They weren't just characters! She didn't make them up! _They were real people!_

"I'll call you back, Lydia," she choked.

"Of course, Chihiro," sympathy permeated every word, "Call me if you need anything."

Chihiro didn't hang up.

Instead she dropped her phone into her lap.

Every fiber of her body screamed at her to go back to his apartment.

"Take me back to the park, Michi!"

"Are you fuckin' nuts!?" The Goth laughed in her face resolutely, "I'm not taking you back there!"

"I'm starting to remember, Michi!" Chihiro shouted back just as vehemently.

Michio's bruised face twisted incredulously as she gripped the sides of the seat.

" _Are you fuckin' serious!?"_

"Yes… I think I remember him… From Kumomi!"

Michi's mouth fell open as she fought with that, scowling as she shook her head.

"I never _once_ saw him in Kumomi. He never came t'see you in the hospital."

Hazy recollections Chihiro mistook for dreams fluttered mothily beneath the surface of her memory. She struggled to make sense of them, gripping her head as her heart squeezed to the point of agony as she gripped the front of her coat.

"I think he did. I think you were asleep," Chihiro gritted her teeth, "Please, Michi, I _need_ to talk to him!"

As they squared off against each other Chihiro hardened, drawing herself up until that strange bit of fire kindled in her stomach. It felt like she was breathing smoke as she glared at Michio until her friend actually shrank from her as if afraid.

"This is my car," Chihiro pronounced calmly, "You don't have to come with me."

Her friend glowered right back, "If you go I go with you."

Again her stupid phone went off in her lap!

Shouta; it was Shouta.

She didn't even get a chance to say hello.

" _What t'hell, Chihiro!?_ " He exclaimed from the other side, "Please, tell me you know what's going on!?"

"Huh?!"

"Kou's gone, Chihiro! The motorcycle's gone too! We didn't hear it start!"

Stunned, Chihiro sat back against the seat.

"What d'you mean gone!?"

"I mean disappeared! _Poof! Gone!"_

Shouta was seriously freaked out, talking a million miles a minute.

"I swear to you I was standing at the bottom of the stairs to his apartment the _whole time_ from the moment you left to the moment Jae went back up there! Kenka's gone too and so's Megumi! Dunno where _t'hell_ those two went!"

"He's gone!?" Chihiro repeated desolately, "Where!?"

"How t'hell should I know!?" Shouta bit back, "Fuu thinks he went back to Izu!"

Again the stupid, stupid bell!

It sent her shaking from fingers to toes.

"D-did you say Izu?!"

"Yeah, that's where Kou's from. Wait, I thought you knew?"

"He went home…?"

Chihiro repeated that fact stupidly.

"Yeah, that's what Fuu said anyway but the air-head's not making any sense."

Shouta became disconsolate.

" _Oh-my-God!_ I can't believe he didn't even say good bye! What the hell happened, Chihiro!? You were all kinds of pissed when you came up those stairs! What did you say to him!?"

Closing her eyes all Chihiro could see what his pleading beseeching eyes as he reached for her, begging her to remember him. Taking a deep breath she leaned her head against the head rest finding an mysterious calm in all the chaos and confusion.

"It's okay, Shouta. I'm going after him."

"Huh?"

"I'm going after him."

She repeated as much for him as for herself.

"I'm going back to Kumomi."


	42. Chapter 42

**HAKU**

Perched on the apex of the roof he watched the courtyard below. His friends milled in turmoil all the while searching for him. He sat in silence for what felt like forever as loss twisted a blade of agony in his heart, bending him over his knees until his nails bit into his palms. The tiles beneath his feet burned with the same cold that bit right through his tatter cloak and thick kimono. For the first time in a long while he wore his mask, fading away into shadows atop the house as a wind of his making that blew out of the hollowed cavern left inside his chest. It ripped through the tree tops around him, tearing at his hair and clothes as it circled ceaselessly. Once again she was gone. With every passing second she drew father and farther away. The thought alone was killing him.

"I cannot bare it," He hissed between his teeth, "I shall die of this...!"

"You're not gonna die, Nigihayami," Kubi counseled mildly.

She was lounging further down the eve smoking like a chimney. It had been a long time since he had the urge to bite someone. Had he still teeth and tail he would have very much liked to bite her.

"I _feel_ as if I might!"

Kubi scoffed at his melancholy.

"Grow up, you big baby."

She blew a smoke ring and frowned as it dissolved in his wind.

"You heard what the little male said. She's going back to where this started. You can't go with her. Remember what Bah-Fuh said: there's nothing you can do."

"Well then!" He demanded with petulant sarcasm, "Tell me, oh wise and powerful Kubi, how are you be so sure she will come back?!"

Haku was happy to argue to take his mind off the aching in his chest. Unfortunately Kubi was in no mood and silenced him with truth.

"I can tell by the way she looks at you. That kind of love has a way of finding its way home. Be patient, you idiot, and in the meantime think about what you're gonna do about them."

Kubi stabbed a finger downward. Haku gritted his teeth, ashamed of himself for acting like a child. He cringed even more as Jae and Shouta continued to yell at each other in the studio below. Every so often Kana would add her voice to their anger. Beneath it all he could hear Fuu humming sweetly. She was standing at the window directly beneath him with her fingers firmly shoved into her ears, most likely watching for him to return.

"What am I to do?" He murmured hoarsely, "What can I do?"

"I can't answer that question for you," Kubi returned distantly, "I will say this much. They're standing on the boundary of a vicious world. If you stay here with them they're going to see you for who you are whether you want them to or not. If they see you they'll see _all_ of us. Once that happens they're gonna tip over into the mess we deal with daily."

Haku shivered miserably as again the wind raked him bare.

"I cannot bring that upon them but also I do not want to leave."

"I don't want you to go either," Kubi hushed as the gale passed them over, "That's why I can't answer your question."

" _Haw!"_ Karasu chirped with a good natured smile as he popped up over the top of the opposite eve, "Enough with the wind, brother! It'll blow the little ones right off the roof!"

Kubi straightened, planting a bare foot on the apex of the roof and pointing her pipe angrily as the Godchildren clambered up to sit beside the crow.

"What do you think you're doing up here!? Get down!"

"Kitten doesn't want Mr. Dragon to be lonely," Sumirei answered for the boys as they hung their heads guiltily, "We came to keep you company."

Haku flashed the cat a weak smile as the tiny Godling waved. They all jumped as doors slammed in the below. Lights flicked off in the studio as feet beat the back stairs. Kana and Shouta emerged from the covered walkway dragging Fuu between them. Forlornly the little female looked back at the building again and again. Haku shrank from her glances even though she could not see him. When she ceased to look he stood, straining to see them between the trees until they were gone leaving him teetering on the edge of calling after them.

Haku knew not what was worse. Knowing he might never see them again? Or knowing that he would?

Kubi craned her neck as the one-eyed yokai emerged from the shadows below struggling to keep on the bowler as he tilted his head all the way back to glare at them with a sour frown.

"Bozu thinks you're all crazy for sitting up there!"

"Oh, yeah?" Karasu cawed back as he hung off the edge of the roof fearlessly, "Well Karasu things Bozu's just jealous because he's afraid of heights!"

"Stupid bird is mean!" The goblin stomped his tiny feet, "Mean! Mean! Mean!"

"Shall we go in now?" Haku sighed, "I am so very tired."

Kubi knocked out her pipe and stood, walking the precarious edge of the roof as if it were miles wide. All the Gods followed on fleet feet as they slide down the tiles to the window. Haku pushed up his mask, letting it disappear into his cloak as he flicked on the switch and opened the door for Bozu. He watched without comment as the little goblin clacked his way over to Kubi. She scooped him up like a baby, holding him close. Karasu glared at the one-eyed yokai as Bozu stuck out his tongue pulled down his lower eyelid to show the interior. The bird flustered his feathers and made all kinds of terrible faces in return. With a long suffering sigh Sumirei roll her eyes as she set Kitten down.

Gohan closed the window behind them, hanging his hat on the knob of the closet door as he settled himself on the floor inside. Sumirei joined him, pillowing her head on his stomach and making room for the cat to settle between them. Karasu propped himself in the corner beside them, splaying out his long legs only to tuck one up as Kitten playfully batted at his wiggling toes. Setting Bozu down Kubi gave the little yokai a scoot with her foot. Rubbing his only eye the goblin tottered across the floor, hanging his hat on Karasu's head and earning a frown that was more of a smirk. The bird helped hoist the little creature onto his favorite shelf before he tipped his hat lower, folding his hands on his stomach with a contented sigh. Standing by the switch Haku watched all of this with a gentle smile. Heat climbed into his cheeks as Kubi glanced back at him cryptically.

"What about the kappa and Grandpa bean?" He inquired quietly.

She peered out the window with a frown.

"They only turn up when there's trouble."

His flush intensified as she sat on the edge of the mattress.

"Um… You may have the bed."

"Don't be an idiot," she glanced back at him sourly, scooting over to make room, "We can share."

Feeling like a fool for thinking she might be planning something devious he dallied by the switch trying not to watch as she settled, making a pillow out of her still blood stained sleeves.

"Should I leave the light on, Kubi-san?"

"Yeah. Leave it on."

With that she turned her back on him. Awkwardly he came over and perched himself on the very edge. Even as Karasu and Bozu began to snore in ever so slight unison; even as Kubi grew heavy beside; Haku turned onto his back and stared at the humming bulb overhead. Minutes ticked away into an hour. One hour turned to two and then three until even under the hum of electricity he could feel the buzz of the kami hour.

Slowly the fattening yellow moon lifted into the sky beyond the window, clawed by the bare arms of the trees. He watched it with a sadness that grew heavier and heavier in his heart knowing that in the morning he would have to leave this place. As if she had heard his thoughts Kubi rolled over and buried her face in his kimono with such swiftness he jolted. Under any other circumstances he would have flown from the bed to dance unhappily at the opposite side of the room. But she was shaking and on the verge of tears. So he held his breath and let her bunch handfuls of the fabric in her hands.

"Who will feed you?" He murmured worriedly.

"We eat the shrine offerings," she breathed into the thick silk, "When we have to we steal something hot."

His insides tightened further with grief.

"Where will you sleep?"

"Here. At least until someone new moves in."

Swallowing with difficulty he put a single arm around her shoulders.

"I will come back for you when all this is finished. You and the children will be welcome at my home."

"You know I can't go with you," Kubi hushed, "I'll stay here forever."

She sounded so very tired. The resignation in her voice broke his heart. Giving into the pain in his chest Haku turned until he held her in the circle of his arms, pillowing his cheek against the crown of her head.

"I am sorry… I am so very sorry I cannot stay with you…"

She lifted her head, staring him full in the face with irritated affection.

"Don't apologize for things that aren't your fault, and don't you _dare_ say good bye."

With that she pushed him away so hard he almost fell out of bed. Turning her back to him again as she drew into a tight ball. He stared at her back for a long moment then got up. Haku thought about putting on Chihiro's father's shoes. Instead he slipped barefoot through a crack in the door and pulled on his mask. Soundlessly he moved down the stairs out into the yellow lights of the courtyard. There he froze, staring at Kenka and Jae where they perched on restaurant chairs. Both were drunk as was evidenced by the pile of bottles at their feet. Shivering violently, they both glanced back and saw him. Erupted into belligerent swearing the humans flew from their seats.

* * *

 **CHIHIRO**

According to GPS it was a four hour drive from Tokyo to Kumomi.

Chihiro made it in three.

Driven by a point of anxious pressure she flew along the main highway at a speed she'd normally never attempt. She cut people off and passed on the right. They dropped off the mainland onto the peninsula in less than an hour. Only the high speed bullet trains could average the same speed. It was a Sunday night and no one was on the mountain roads. Chihiro drove like she owned them.

The tires squealed in several places as she rocketed around the curves of the narrow road perched high above the ocean. The engine of the Lexus roared as it powered up the hills only to purr as they careened down switchbacks. There was snow at the tree line but the highway by the water was clear. Michio didn't say a word the entire way. Her only responses were to grip the door handle with white knuckles and periodically plant her foot on the dashboard. Her face was lined with fear and worry; it flashed white in the moonlight each time they darted out of the trees into the open.

Chihiro almost slammed on the brakes as they passed a sign announcing Kumomi. She was stunned by the fact that she hadn't recognized her surroundings. Distracted by looking back, she had to sharply correct so she didn't to slam into the side of the bridge traversing the narrow tiny town. They wheeled around a corner only to plow on by. That was it! It was gone in a blink and she was scrambling to see it in her rear-view mirror! It was a flash of black water and a cluster of lights hidden among tired tilty white houses. Disappointment sank in her stomach as the Lexus zoomed by the tiny fishing village. Immediately they were climbing into a set of climbing switchbacks that lifted them into the pressing dark of old drooping trees.

"I think that was Kumomi," Michio hushed, speaking for the first time as she pointed back the way they'd come.

"Yeah," Chihiro was forced to clear her throat to speak, "It was."

"Um… Isn't that where we're going?"

"No." Chihiro flexed her sweating palms on the wheel trusting herself to remember somehow, "The Onsen's farther."

She wasn't sure exactly where it was. In her story it was out of town a ways. She leaned forward to peer over the wheel as far ahead as she could; scanning the road side for any driveways and signs. Snow was still piled on the sides of the roads here and the tires pulled on some ice. Michio gasped, scrambling to grab the handles as calmly Chihiro let up on the gas, coasting until the tires grabbed again. They were almost into the on-coming lane by the time she whipped them back onto the proper side.

"Do you have to drive so _fuckin'_ crazy!?"

"I'm not driving crazy, the roads just icy!"

"I'm beginning to think you are crazy," her friend choked hoarsely, "Chihiro, you haven't scared me this much in my whole fucking life!"

As she opened her mouth to say something reassuring Chihiro caught a glimpse of a sign half buried in the trees. Michio screamed as Chihiro slammed on the breaks. They skidded by, coming to a halt about a quarter mile past the sign before Chihiro threw the car into reverse, kicking up smoke from the wheel wells as they squealed backwards only to careened sideways into the muddy ruts of the driveway.

" _You're nuts! You're absolutely fucking nuts!"_ Michio sobbed into her hands as rocks bounced off undercarriage, "You're gonna _kill_ me out here somewhere and dump my body in a well and I'll haunt you forever you _bitch_!"

" _Shut up, Michi!"_ Chihiro shouted back, unnerved by her friend's sudden panic, _"Just shut up!"_

Finally the tangle of branches parted as they crawled out of the muddy Jurassic era underbrush onto flat gravel. Before she knew what she was doing Chihiro pumped the e-break, popped her belt and pocketed the keys, spilling out into the frigid mountain air. She didn't trust her stiff legs to hold her up and she clung to the door as the Lexus dinged away merrily in spite of Michio's sobbing.

Ahead of her the Onsen loomed sleepily beneath the star soaked sky. A loudly burbling brook surged under a narrow bridge connecting the wide front porch with parking lot. Stone lanterns guarded each side and the flickering lights inside cast trembling shadows over the worn cedar boards. Split curtains hung from the front eve and a flag fluttered high on a pole. A white dragon looped on the indigo face, caught in the moon. In the clear sky flooded the paking lot with buttery light that skipped off the glistening blue tiles of the inn's roof. Steam rose in a thin veil over the white washed walls as the intoxicating smell of camphor hit her full in the face like a physical blow. Staggering forward she put out her hands to touch the stone lantern. It was real! All of this was real!

" _Chihiro!? Chihiro, wait!"_

She didn't hear her friend. She'd already forgotten all about Michi. Already Chihiro was running across the bridge. She hauled open one side of the front door and slipped inside. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the dark interior. Stepping out of her shoes, her bare feet slapped on the stones. She came up short in the entryway staring at the welcome station. It was empty. So was the lot outside. No motorcycle and side car. She must've beaten him home. A clock ticked away in the placid silence of the as she stepped up onto the creaking floor boards. Putting her hand on the wall to brace herself she crept forward into the dark interior, heading toward a blot of light already staring to her left knowing the great room was waiting for her. She stopped in the doorway and stared at the tatami matted room, lifting her eyes to the God shelf high on the wall.

Whirling she hurried down the hall, moving faster now as headed for the kitchen. Shoving her way between the split curtains she was struck to stillness. Green tiles glowed in the moonlight pouring through the back window. A pool illuminated the nook revealing orange cushions covered in black cat fur. It was exactly the same set up as the Aoyama kitchen, which left her remembering what he'd said about his kitchen back home. Everything here, every minute detail lifted straight from the pages in her mind. How was it possible unless it was based on truth? If it was true then why then couldn't she remember any of it!?

Clenching her fists Chihiro fought the urge to cry. Coming down the stairs into the kitchen, she paused in the center on the mat. An eerie shock went crawling through her whole body as she did and her insides emitted a peal so loud she wondered if Michio could hear it too. The whole house shuddered and snapped in that moment. She recoiled with a gasp, shrinking from the dusty dry herbs in the rafters only to catch movement from the corner of her eye.

Whirling towards it the back door clacked shut. A shadow flitted by and tiny feet pounded the porch beyond. Chihiro yanked it open, coming out and staring around the huge addition at the back. The building was massive; four stories tall and connected to the main building by covered bridges. Chihiro stared up at what she' called the God wing in her story only to be left wondering who really lived there.

Again movement called her eyes away. A little girl in a red kimono ran along the path leading into the back fields carrying a paper lantern on a stick. Bobbing and floating; the globe cast an eerie blue-gold light against the periwinkles and blacks of midnight. The girl stopped to glance back. Chihiro blinked because the kid was wearing a swallow's mask. Its beak flashed gold in the moonlight.

"Hey!?"

Fitting her feet into the clogs by the back door she hurried after her and the stupid kid ran! Barefoot and skipping like she didn't feel the cold, she sprinted up into the tree line at the back of the field. Feeling like an idiot Chihiro followed in exasperation.

"Look, all I want to know is if you live here? Do you know where everyone went? Hey, kid?"

They were up into the spindly pines now and Chihiro was hard pressed to follow along the slick muddy path. The woods were super creepy; dark and drippy and full of unidentifiable sounds. Suddenly she looked up only to realize the blue lantern had disappeared. Turning in a circle she jumped and shrank from a looming shape on the ridge ahead only to feel dumb as it turned out to be another stone lantern. She gawked as it seemed to light up before her very eyes. But it was just the kid teasing her with her lantern. The girl giggled impishly as she emerged from behind the stone post.

"Look," Chihiro wilted in exasperation, "We really shouldn't be out here at night! Your mom's gonna worry."

Not at all fazed by the threat of parental ire the kid took off again, taking her light with her and giggling again as she called back.

"This way, Chihiro."

Stunned, she stood there a moment shivering convulsively.

"Hey! How do you know my name?"

Clambering up and over the ridgeline Chihiro chased the orb of red light.

"Do I know you? Do you remember me from somewhere?"

As she dropped down the other side of the slope she immediately felt the change in the air. The trees started to thin as the moon pierced through the branches, illuminating the white sandy soil. A mounting sense of disquiet gathered in her chest as again she lost sight of the kid.

It wasn't until she heard the hiss of the ocean and tasted salt on the breeze that she started to think something wasn't right. Shivering violently from head to toe Chihiro emerge onto the cliffs above the ocean. The sky was a lighter shade of blue that the flat black of the ocean. All the same, her insides crawled with disquiet as she caught sight of the ancient torii gate hanging above the waves on a spindly finger of land. The moon was perched almost perfectly right atop the cross bar.

Sengen-mon: Sengen's gate.

In her book this was a seriously scary place.

Funny; it was just a story but being here totally freaked her out.

Under any other circumstances she would've turned around and run back to the inn. Here, however, was something new; something that she hadn't written into her book. Curiosity got the better of her. Hugging herself against the gusts of bitter wind blowing over the cliffs she crept up to the stone altar and peered at the plastic wrapped packaged weighed by rocks. The recognized the first one instantly. It was her book. It took her a moment to make out the second as water had gotten inside with the picture.

She recognized Hidé immediately.

Chihiro recoiled from the smiling faces in the picture only to gawk as she caught sight of the kid standing on the very point of the cliff beneath the torii gate. The light in her lantern had blown out as it whipped around in the wind over her shoulder.

"Hey!" Chihiro waved her hands in a panic, "Get back here right now!"

Not about to get sued by the kid's parents for gross negligence she kicked out of her clogs and timidly picked her way out onto the bar of pitted white stone ready to grab the girl physically and drag her back to the house. Even as the sheer drop yawned at her right and left she tried not to look down, especially as blasts of cutting wind that hit her from both sides. Finally she reached the torii and hugged one of the fat posts in utter relief.

"Kid, this is so dangerous!" Chihiro pleaded, "Let's go, okay?!"

"But I can see him, Chihiro."

She blinked and blinked some more.

"W-who?"

The girl ignored her; staring intently over the edge as she pointed at something Chihiro couldn't see. This was so freaking her out! What the hell was wrong with this dumb kid!? But she had to look now. It was impossible for her not to look. Keeping her hand on the torii post she fearfully inched her was out from under it, coming along side the girl to peer over the edge not knowing what to expect.

There was no one down there.

Nothing but rocks and waves and a terrifying drop.

" _Goddamnit, kid!"_

Chihiro fumed, hoping the kid got grounded for years. She reached to grab her by the back of the kimono. Only to have her hand passed right through the girl's back. Jarred by surprise Chihiro thought for a moment that the girl was falling so she grabbed and grabbed only to have it pass right through. She lost her balance as a pitted section of the limestone rock crumbled under her bare feet. She tipped right over the edge.

It was amazing how quickly you could fall what looked so far away.

She didn't even have time to scream as she fell.

Up and down got lost as she plunged; night and day got lost too.

The world went impossibly bright as sound faded away.

Her life didn't flash before her eyes.

Instead she watched in eerie detail as waves surged around the sea arch.

They reached for her, crashing and foaming higher and higher.

She smashed into them with stunning force

Swirling, spinning, she sank like a stone into the unfathomable dark. Down and down, only to break through the surface of something impassible. Deep in the forgotten places of mind she physically smashed a hole that barrier with her body. All kinds of things came rushing back out. Like bubbles they buoyed her, heaving her towards the bright surface. Just below that glassy blue plane the memories resolved into clarity, flashing like diamond as they became hers again.

She remembered everything in that split second.

Haku was right.

It hurt to remember.

It hurt so goddamn much that she screamed as she broke through the surface.

Sitting up out of the shallows she screamed in anguish.

She reached for him knowing he wasn't there.

He had woken up before her and she hadn't.

She'd left him here at the Onsen but he'd followed.

He followed her all the way to Tokyo only to be left again.

Chihiro screeched her fury at the curse that'd taken him from her even when he was right in front of her eyes! She raged at Sengen's cruelty until her shredded voice echoed off the cliffs behind her in pitiful sobs. Finally she crumbled onto jagged rocks, clinging to them as gentle waves rocked her back and forth. She was too upset to wonder why she wasn't dying of hypothermia until a freezing hand laid itself on her back.

"M'sorry boss," Hidé whispered, "There was nothin' I could do."

Chihiro recoiled with a gasp, splashing into the tide pool only to realize there was a God sitting beside her. She gawked up at him, stunned by how beautiful he was now. His bare chest showed like mother-of-pearl in the moon and his blue eyes were luminous with inner light. The fabric of his silver fish-scale hakama pants seemed to dissolve into the water until it was the water itself, swirling and eddying around them calmly. But then he flashed that same sorry lopsided smirk, making her insides squeeze with such a painful stab she reached for him with a hiccupping sob.

The water surged around her, ferrying her up into his arms.

She hugged him fiercely.

"I thought you were dead! I seriously thought you were dead!"

"Nah," He hushed mildly over the gentle hiss and ebb of the sea, "M'not dead, boss. There's no such thing as dead, only different."

He was seriously cold! After she couldn't take it anymore Chihiro drew back and stood dripping in the knee deep water as he held her hands and hung his head bashfully.

"Are you mad at me?"

She blinked, "Why would I be mad at you."

"Um… Well we kinda tricked you into fallin' off a cliff."

He frowned at the sea arch behind them. For a moment Chihiro could only stare at the magnificent bow of rounded stone before what he said sunk in.

"Wait…" She pointed into the air meaninglessly, _"You tricked me?!"_

He cringed, looking far less Godly as he awkwardly smoothed the back of his hair. Chihiro threw down his hands and sputtered in outrage as she continued to gesture angrily at the height from which she fell.

"It's really not that high."

She stomped her foot in the water only succeeding in splashing herself.

"To a _God_ maybe!"

Hidé put up his hands in placation. Funny that: a God placating a human.

"It had to be here, Chihiro. This place's sacred t'my mother. Not even her curses can stand up here. You had t'come of your own will otherwise it wouldn't've worked."

She was back to pointing again.

"Who the heck was the kid with the lantern!?"

Hidé's face fell.

"Obasama."

Chihiro lapsed into stillness as she remembered the kid's swallow mask. It was the same mask Mrs. Nikkou wore to the summer matsuri. The waves around them suddenly heaved up to crashed on the rocks. Chihiro shrank closer to him, grabbing hold of his arm as the water pulled on her insistently. He blinked down at her as if surprised before frowning the waves back to placid stillness.

"She'll be here until New Years. Then she has to cross. If she doesn't she'll have to stay a whole year. Obasama's tired, Chihiro. She wants to rest."

Chihiro didn't know what to say to that. Her concept of death had changed so much in these few moments it was hard to know how to respond.

"This place is full of ghosts at the moment," Hidé sighed gustily, "Obasama's trying to get Manami to cross with her but she won't go."

Chihiro jumped.

"Manami!?"

Hidé nodded grimly and once again stirring up the surf as his eyes went eerily intense, reminding her in that moment he was a God.

"I don't know why she's here. She won't tell me either an' it's not her fault. She can't tell me. Mother knows somethin' but she won't tell me. I… I'm worried Chihiro. Somethin's not right. I can feel it but I hate not _knowing_! That was a bit of a surprise, realizin' not even Gods know everything."

Chihiro cringed as waves cracked against the cliffs to either side of them, lacing her fingers through his. At once he was looking down at her with glowing blue eyes that lit up with his smile.

"Its good t'see you, Boss."

Chihiro dropped her gaze. It was extremely difficult to look at him when he was… um… _Godish_. It was too much. Instead she stared at the slick stones and watching the bits of kelp and flotsam eddy around her ankles.

"Thanks," she murmured earnestly, struggling to swallow the lump in her throat because the words sounded so lame, "Thanks for helping me remember."

"All we did was give you a little push, you did the rest.

He picked up the scale that hung around her neck.

"You had t'want t'remember an' I think I know who drove you t'that."

Chihiro blushed, closing her hand around the scale as he dropped it, all the while trying to not feel terrible for asking.

"Where is he? Do you know?"

"No," Hidé was genuinely sorry, "I can't see anythin' beyond the water."

Pulling on the shell nervously Chihiro began in a rush all the things she never had a chance to apologize for.

"I'm sorry too. I… I wanted to have everything. I thought I could have everything. I was such a stupid whiney little girl. You both had to choose but I didn't want to. But I didn't know what to do. I honestly loved you both."

"I know, Chihiro."

His calm broke over her like a wave and Chihiro flinched as his burning cold hands folded around her face, tipping it up so she was forced to look into his eyes. Looking at him was frightening in a way, like staring over the edge of the cliff.

"I'll never stop loving you. _That's_ impossible. Don't worry, even though I know you will, because it's a different kind of love now. Everything's different now."

Her knees trembled beneath the weight of his gaze; especially as he leaned down to kiss her brow. It tingled with cold even after he drew back. She tightened her hands on his; suddenly afraid she might never see him again.

As he smiled it was like seeing the sun sparkling over the sea.

She shrank from a blinding flash.

Lurching forward, Chihiro found herself standing atop the cliff.

Staring down at herself she discovered she was completely dry.

Shivering violently, unnerved and slightly unsure, she crept to the cliff.

There was no one down there.

Nothing but rocks and waves and a terrifying drop.

All the same, she remembered.

She remembered everything.

Turning for the forest she started back towards Onsen, slow at first as her eyes adjusted to the dark. Her bare feet tingled as they began to sink into the spongy ground. The moon blotted out as the branches thickened. Out of the dark emerged the winking, shimmering algae like creatures Haku called mushi. The whole forest was crawling with them! They clambered around her toes; blinking at each other from colonies in the rotting stumps and ferns; drifting in a lazy current over head. On a whim she reached out to touch them. More humming tingles poured down her arm like an electric shock as one came to rest on her fingertip for the briefest moment. Standing there shaking beneath the overwhelming sensations soaking through her body Chihiro took a shuddering breath and blew out a cloud of white. Mushi coalesced out of the mist, spinning in minty spirals.

She'd forgotten just how beautiful this world was.

Picking her way along the path and careful not to step on anyone, she didn't so much as flinch as a spindly shrub uprooted itself in a panic and scuttled out of sight. As the tree kami fled it exposed a startled tanuki in a green coat. The kami dropped the mushrooms she'd been gathering and gaped at Chihiro with uncomprehending eyes.

"Hi," Chihiro waved.

At once the raccoon turned into a trembling stone wearing a mossy haori.

"It's okay. I didn't mean to scare you."

All around her she could feel the attention of tiny creatures and she didn't mind in the slightest. She couldn't wait anymore. Hurrying along the path now, she called for him, breaking into an ungainly run as she slipped in mud and clambered over snags.

"Suzume!" Chihiro laughed aloud, "Suzume!"

All it took was a second.

Chihiro cringed from the light as scores of blue fox-fire erupted over her head. The whizzed and crackled, spitting sparks as they pushed back the dark. As she looked back down he was standing in the middle of the path. His gold eyes burned with inner light even as his mouth worked soundlessly. A speechless Suzume? She almost laughed. Pale with shock, he held out oddly blackened hands as if afraid to touch her. Chihiro shrieked happily because it was so good to see him. Not caring in the slightest what his reaction might be she threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him down into a hug.

He folded up, growing smaller and lighter but not that light. Again she squealed gleefully, bent beneath the weight of a struggling white fox. She laughed as he worriedly snuffled her face and hair with his cold wet nose, vibrating with in excitement before licking her nose twice. She almost dropped him as he scolded her with an impertinent bark, slipping through her arms. Back in his human guise he kneeled at her feet hugging her around the middle so ardently she squeaked.

"It's okay. Everything's okay." Chihiro hushed exultantly, bending to hold him, "I'm home now."

Suzume was shaking as he burrowed his face in her clothes. Abruptly the fox drew back and sneezed indignantly.

"Child!" He frowned up at her sourly, "You stink of ocean!"

As Chihiro opened her mouth to explain Suzume threw up a hand, carefully searching the woods. The fox-fires overhead dimmed and dwindled as he did. Movement caught Chihiro's eye, blue light that didn't belong to Suzume. With her eerily bobbing globe of blue light slung over her shoulder the child-ghost that had been Reika Nikkou passed between distant trees. Her feet disappeared into transparency as she glimmered red in the dark, emitting inner light like her lantern. She paused for a moment to peer at them with luminous silver eyes from behind the smiling oculars of her gilded blue and gold swallow mask.

"Thank you," Chihiro whispered to her former teacher.

The ghost turned away giggling into her hand as if shy.

Away she skipped between the trees.

Abruptly she was gone though her lantern continued to bob.

It disappeared into the woods before winking out of sight.


	43. Chapter 43

**CHIHIRO**

Placing her chopsticks on her tray Chihiro sighed contently. At once Natsumi was fussing over her.

"Did you get enough to eat, Miss Sen?"

Chihiro laughed as the yuna swooped in to take her dishes.

"Are you kidding me!? I'm so stuffed!"

"Me two. Me three." Hiko and Ginka sighed in unison from their cushions.

The little yuna drowsed like wilting flowers and Chihiro couldn't blame them. It was almost 1:00 AM. The Kami got back around midnight. They'd been in town paying their last respects at the hospital. Maboru, Mrs. Nikkou's son, hadn't come with them. It was tradition for a family member to stay with the body all night. She hoped to at least get to meet him tomorrow. It wasn't the solemn affair that usually accompanied human funerals. Reika was dead but she wasn't. She was here but not for long. Chihiro still didn't know how she felt about that. She forgot about all that momentarily as she was mobbed from all sides by friends.

The kami had insisted on celebrating her return.

Onsen lit every lantern and light in red and gold to welcome her home.

"You's so warm, kiddo. S'nice."

Cinna rasping voice as the tip of her tail flicked back and forth lazily. The cat pillowed her head on Chihiro's thigh; affectionately rubbing her head against Chihiro's side for what felt five-hundred and fiftieth time. It prompted Chihiro to scratch the God-woman's soft black ears. At once the cat was purring so loudly the table vibrated. At the head of the table Suzume made a sour moue at his jumping chopsticks, opening his mouth to say something only to loose a quiet yip as Lin elbowed him. Chihiro struggled not to giggle as the fox glared only to soften as Lin crossed her eyes and put a hand on her bulging stomach. Lin waved him off as she leaned back with a sigh, propping herself on her only arm, trying to make more room for the twins inside. Chihiro was staring across the table at Lin's stomach again. The God-woman caught her gawking and smirked proudly. With burning cheeks Chihiro looked away.

She couldn't believe how much had happened since she left.

In a way she could.

Looking overhead she gazed at the red lanterns overhead and smiled.

Onsen's cheerful presence twinkled in each.

It was so very good to be home among the Gods.

Unfortunately not everyone was so at ease among kami.

Michio, Kiri, and Keiichi sat at the opposite end of the table. They were all eyes in the red lantern light, especially Michio. Her best friend hadn't eaten a thing and Chihiro wondered if she was afraid of turning into a pig. There hadn't been time to explain. Michio stood in the corner of the kitchen rigid as a board taking everything in with silent fright. Chihiro wasn't surprised Michi could see kami. She'd always had a weird second sense for things. Michio followed them into the God Hall as if compelled to a seat on the red cushions between Lin and Kiri. It was the safest place to put her but still Michi shrank every time one of the kami asked her a question, answering only in silent nods or shakes of her head.

Again Chihiro silently appealed to her friend across the table.

Michio wouldn't look at her.

That meant she might accidentally look at Tomoe.

Chihiro was seriously intrigued by the polite ghost dwelling inside of Kaonashi. The cat had introduced him as her boyfriend, waving him to a seat beside her at the table before curling up on him like a cushion. He filled the cat's sake cup with care, letting her use him as a foot rest as Cinna switched laps. Instantly Chihiro liked Tomoe in spite of his terrifying appearance. He exuded a quiet formality that reminded her of Haku. She was looking forward to hearing his story. He was a newcomer just like Usagi, the sweet face brown rabbit who timidly followed in Yoshi's footsteps curiously glancing at her from time to time. That was another story to hear. But there was one story in particular she was most anxious to hear.

There was a shadow sitting behind Kiri.

No one acknowledged it but they all seemed to know it was there.

The kami refused to cross it, going all the way around the other side of the table to serve Keiichi, who sat at the opposite end from Suzume. Sometimes they forgot it was there only to remember at the last moment. Stopping on their toes they spun and hurried away as if terrified. Each time they did Kiri cringed and under the table Keiichi squeezed his sister's hand. She did not look good at all. There were dark circles under her eyes. She looked brittle even as Kiri smiled at her as if terribly sorry for something.

Something serious was going on here.

She could feel it humming in her heart as the bell there vibrated low and distant.

A cold premonition crept up Chihiro spine as she studied the shadow.

The young priest caught Chihiro frowning at it and she blinked.

His eyes were gray! When had that happened!?

Probably when he saw the Gods for the first time?

She flashed him a quizzical glance. Keiichi's lips drew into a thin line as his brows contracted causing his spectacles to slide down his nose. At once the priest was appealing down the long table to Suzume. Chihiro glanced at the fox only to have him ignore her. Instead he shook his head almost unperceivably as one of his blackened hands made a furtive motion urging them to wait. At that exact moment Amano came back into the God Hall carrying a tray of tea and sweets. Far too witchy for his own good the broken nosed man glanced between Kiri, Keiichi and Suzume. He stopped dead in his tracks almost making Kai rear-end him. The boy grimaced struggled to keep his tea from sloshing.

"You're such a good cook, Amano-sempai!"

Chihiro exclaimed, breaking the tension

"Just call me Amano," He ducked his head awkwardly, "You'd think t'food in Tokyo'd be better."

"Different," Chihiro pressed, "Not necessarily better."

Amano gave his tray over to Little Green Frog, wiping his hands on his apron as if afraid they were dirty before he came to sit beside Kiri. Ignoring the shadow he put his arm around her. That seemed to help. Suzume's eyes lit up and his fingers twitched as Kai brought him his tray, trying to retain some dignity as he eagerly accepted the frothy matcha. Yoshi and Usagi followed shortly carrying similar trays until desert was served. As they settled the table was full and conversation began.

"I have only heard stories of Tokyo," Aniyaku tracked his approaching tea with greedy bright eyes, sitting up from where he was leaning as far as he could away from Tomoe, "I hear it is a city rich in all manner of foreign delicacies."

Natsumi flashed the fat frogman a sour frown as she put a tray in front of Lin.

"I heard it was a dangerous place."

"Exciting places are always dangerous, my dear." The frog returned tetchily.

"Natsumi-sama is correct, Aniyaku-sama," Tomoe interjected, "Tokyo is an inhospitable place."

The oily frogman paled as the ghost addressed him directly, busying himself instead with drinking his tea. The old yuna smirked to herself, glad to have the last word. Tomoe delicately placed his pastry on Cinna's plate as the cat sat up to claim it with a bright grin. As she did the sleeve of her shirt drooped. Chihiro's insides went cold as she counted the bite marks on the cat's neck. They climbed all the way up to her throat. The scars were probably the reason her voice was all messed up. Normally the cat never shut up but she'd barely spoken a word this whole time settling instead for physical contact. Haku said Okesa had to come home because she got sick but what exactly did that mean?

Stories; so many stories.

Natsumi fitted ivory picks onto her fingers before she bent over a koto, pulling from the stings a mellow soothing song. Suddenly Chihiro fell perfectly still as she remembered something Haku said about evening music. Missing him intensely she found it impossible not to talk about him.

"You know who's a good cook?"

"Who?" Kai piped up from across the table.

The kid was staring at her like she had sprouted a horn. Thanks to a dunk in the ocean and a brush with mushi she had gone silver again. Like a sponge she was soaking up all the magic around her. It was a bizarre phantom feeling, kind alike crawling ants.

Chihiro flashed a wan smile, "Haku."

The room went silent as all eyes turned on her.

"Nigihayami cooks? _Hah!?_ " Aniyaku chortled incredulously, "I can't imagine him doing any _real_ work."

"Watch your mouth, Aniyaku!"

Lin smashed her hand against the tabletop making their tea jolt.

Aniyaku loosed a loud angry croak, "It's _true_ isn't it?"

Cinna hissed as all the hair on her tail stood up, grating each word like it hurt her.

"Y'don' know 'bout nothin', frogman!"

"What would you know, cat?" He croaked again sourly, glaring at her with a watery wall-eyed stare, "You didn't have to live with him like we did."

Lin gripped her plate looking for a moment like she might throw it at the frog. Chihiro cut her off before physical violent broke off. She didn't so much as look at the surly kami but her words crackled with an admonishment that made the lanterns flicker.

"A lot has changed."

"That may be so, Miss Sen, but old hurts heal hard," the frogman stood stiffly and waddled from the room, "You're too kind. You forgive much easier than I."

Chihiro gritted her teeth as she tried not to yell after him. The coal of anger stoked in the pit of her stomach. She blinked as curl of smoke blew between her lips. Kai's mouth fell open and he nudged his dad, pointing. Amano glanced at her only to hastily look away. Chihiro flushed in embarrassment, putting a hand over her mouth.

"Such a churlish frog," Suzume smoothed his sleeves irritably, "Why do you put up with him, beloved?"

"Because he's family" Lin muttered with a gusty sigh, "I think bucket duty will wash off some of that self-righteousness, don't you think Natsumi?"

Cinna snickered darkly as Natsumi stood over her koto, glaring after the frog.

"We didn't want to ask," the old yuna began carefully.

"About what?" Chihiro blinked.

"About Nigihayami-san," Lin answered quickly.

"You haven't mentioned him till now," Little Green Frog began hopefully.

"S-s-so he f-f-found you, then?" Yoshi stuttered with his arm held out. The timid rabbit was holding his sleeve over her head as if afraid it might start raining tea.

"In Tokyo?" Hika chimed in.

"Yeah, in Tokyo?" Ginka finished.

Surprised by their genuine concern Chihiro flashed a smile that was hard to keep.

"He did."

Suzume was watching her with a careful expression that did nothing to hide the questions burning on his tongue. What else could she say? How could she tell them what happened? She didn't even know where to start.

"Why didn't he come with you?" Lin was frowning impatiently.

"He's still on his way," Chihiro replied hurriedly, "Um… He should be home some time tonight, I think?"

Tonight was already almost tomorrow and she was beginning to worry.

"C-Chihiro?" Michio stammered suddenly, "W-will you show me the bathroom?"

The Goth stared at her tea cup as if afraid of even that.

"We can show Miss Micho."

Hika was already on her feet making Michi flinch.

"Yeah, we can show her."

Ginka hurried to join her sister but Chihiro was already standing.

"Thank you, girls, but I'll take her."

Chihiro had to physically collect her friend. Instead of bringing her to the bath at the back of the God Wing Chihiro lead Michio by the hand into the main house. Michio shivered violently as they crossed the bridge, reminding Chihiro about the cold she barely felt. On the other side Onsen was blazing with light, which only made the inn creepier. Shadows thickened in every nook and corner as the house's interest in the manifested physically. As they came through the kitchen and passed the great room Chihiro saw that Amano had set out two complete meals: one for Haku and one for Mrs. Nikkou. Chihiro almost tripped as Michi choked on a sob, clinging to her arm and pulling on her like a little girl as Onsen collected over their heads watching curiously.

Hurrying now, Chihiro brought her friend out to the front porch.

The stone lanterns glowed like sentinels in the dark.

The bridge stretched between them in a narrow ribbon of dark.

The parking lot looked so very far away, almost like it was another world.

In a way it was.

Michi shrank and shied nervously as she stared wildly in all directions.

"I-I still can't fuckin' believe this is _real!_ I keep thinkin' I'm gonna wake up any second back in Tokyo an' this'll all be some _fucked_ - _up_ tequila induced dream!"

Déjà vu hit Chihiro hard.

A long time ago she'd said almost the exact same thing as a child as she faded away in the dark of the spirit world. Well… maybe without the bit about tequila. All the same, Michio looked so very small; so very young and terrified with her mascara running down her cheeks. It was hard for Chihiro to believe she'd been like this not long ago. It was hard not to remember what Hidé said. He was right. They people they'd been no longer existed. Like Haku said that story was done. It was over. This was something new; something different; and she shivered at the terrible possibilities.

"This isn't a dream, Michi. This is real," calmly she explained the inexplicable, "But that's the great thing about this place. You don't have to stay if you don't want to."

Chihiro put the car keys in her friend's hand.

"I don't want you on the interstate like this, okay? It's only an hour to Shimoda. Get a hotel and drive home tomorrow."

By now Michio was shaking so badly Chihiro worried if she could drive at all. Her friend grabbed her hands as Chihiro took them back, clinging to her fearfully as she gaped incredulously.

 _"Y-you're staying?!"_

She made it sound like it was unthinkable and Chihiro gripped her friend's hands firmly, staring pointedly. Michio blinked and gritted her teeth, nervously taking in Chihiro's new hair and eye color.

"This is my home now."

The Goth glanced at the house already sidling for the bridge half pulling her along.

"I… I don't _fuckin_ understand any of this, Chihi-chan!"

"Read the story on my laptop. It'll explain everything."

Michi tried to absorb that, staring askance at Onsen again.

"Um… Will they still be here if I come back?"

Chihiro snorted, "Of course. This is where we live."

"Can you come visit me instead?" Michio sniffed tremulously, not meaning to be rude, "I'm not sure if I'm okay with all _this_. I… I need to think."

"I'm not going anywhere so take all the time you need."

Michio yanked her into a hug so hard Chihiro winced.

She'd been hugged by a lot of Gods that evening and her sides were sore.

Turning on her heel Michio ran across the bridge.

She didn't look back.

* * *

 **HAKU**

" _Holy fucking shit! What t'fuck is that!?"_

Jae snatched up the shovel Haku used to scoop ashes making Kenka stumble back.

"Whoa! Dude! Dude, put the shovel down!"

" _No fuckin' way, man!"_

Jae began swinging wildly.

" _It's a fuckin' ghost! They're real just like my halmeoni said!"_

Haku intervened as Kenka nearly lost his head, relieving Jae of the danger he posed to others and himself. Spinning himself in a circle only to topple and realize there was nothing in his hands, Jae scramble back into Kenka, seizing his friend as if ready to throw the human over his shoulder and run if need be. Even as he wove on his feet unsteadily, nearly toppled by Jae's insistent pulling, Kenka grabbed a handful of his friend's shirt and yanked him to stillness.

 _"Sheeba!"_ Jae gasped in Korean, _"Shit! Shit! Shit!"_

The taller male squinted as he struggled to see through Haku's ruse. Kenka's dark compassionate eyes went perfectly round. The red in his face drained away as he took a trembling step back.

"Is this what you really look like?" Kenka gritted beneath his teeth.

It was useless to hide now. He at least owed them an explanation. Haku let the shadows fade until he stood unobscured.

"No," he returned quietly, "You have always known my true face."

All kinds of things worked their way through Kenka's eyes in that moment. Disbelief; fear; awe; amazement; the poor human went to war with himself. All the while Jae gaped, making more high squeaky noises as he pointed madly. Kenka slapped down his arm but each time it flew right back up. Finally the tall human gave up and turned on Haku with such an expression of uncertainty.

"You're leaving. Aren't you."

"Yes," Haku struggled to keep his voice even, "I cannot stay."

Kenka shook his fists as his lips drew into a grim line.

"Why?!"

He blinked, not expecting such vehemence from the usually tranquil male.

"I will bring you only trouble."

"So!?" Jae hushed hoarsely, "You fit right in!"

Haku fought a smile then struggled to keep it as the quaking corners of his mouth pulled down. He drew himself up, lifting his head and speaking as a God might. They seemed shaken by that, especially as he faded away into shadows.

"You have shown me kindness that is rare even amongst kami. May you enjoy all the blessings of the Gods in return for that kindness. Permit me now to withdraw before you regret your generosity."

"Wait!" Jae threw up his hands in anger, "Just like that an' your fuckin' gone!?"

"Yes," Haku returned with what felt like endless sadness, "Just like that."

In that exact moment the power cut.

Haku gasped as the world was dashed into complete swallowing dark.

A wind hit the courtyard as it erupted beneath Haku's feet.

He sprang to the eve only to surmount the roof in another single bound. His cloak became armor and Hanoane resolved at his waist as he found Kubi and Karasu already there. The bird was missing his hat. They stared in horror over the sea of black that surrounded them. All of Ueno Park had lost power. Not a single light showed in the dark as the cloying hum of electricity failed. The crushing silence stabbed a cold spike of panic straight through his chest as slowly Haku realized the consequences. Far in the distance the lights of the city sparkled showing them just how far safety was.

"They cut the power," Karasu choked.

The bird leaned out over the edge of the roof as if he could grab and drag back one of the distant lights. His voice shot up an octave as he looked back at them incredulously.

"How did t'hell did the spiders cut the power?!"

Kubi's eyes flashed at Haku in the dark.

"Go!" She hissed, "Go while you still can!"

Haku frowned resolutely.

"I will not leave you now."

"Karasu," Kubi barked, "How many can you carry!?"

Trying to be brave, he shook visibly.

"Um, two? Maybe three?"

"Good," Kubi nodded, "Just enough"

Karasu let out a strangled squawk as shards of silk shattered the tiles of the edge of the roof where he perched. Haku caught Kubi, dragging her into the safety against the opposite slope as bits of ceramic shrapnel erupted around them. He looked up in horror as Karasu caught himself on the apex of the roof above them only to stare stupidly at the glistening red barb that pierced the middle of his chest. He touched it in disbelief then line of white attached to the other end went taut, ripping him over the opposite side of the roof into the dark.

Kubi screamed. She scrambled along side him. They both reached to catch Karasu's hands only to recoil as more silk obliterated the roof's edge. Haku seized her as something bounced off his mask, dragging them both backwards and down the opposite slope. Holding her tightly he leapt from the eve only to see a seemingly endless tide of glittering red eyes advancing through the trees.

This was no chance encounter!

This was strategic!

How!? How had they found them!?

Though he longed to flee; longed to shoot like and arrow into the sky Haku fell like a stone. He hit the ground producing a hard wind beneath his heels. It flattened Kenka and Jae to the stones just as more lances of silk whizzed over their heads smashing into flat blots of white against the walls to either side of him. The whole house lurched as if it had been struck from the opposite side.

Glass shattered. Wood shattered.

Under all was the terrible scuttling hiss of thousands of legs.

Horror poured from above, drenching him in cold sweat as beetle black bodies clambered over the roof, swarming in every possible direction of escape. Dragging Jae and Kenka behind him Haku was hard pressed to slice down the projectiles as Hanoane flashed in his hand. The shots were so fierce and persistent he could not spare a hand between blade and wind to reach for the watch that was not a watch. There was no time.

Screams sounded on the second floor.

" _The children!"_

Kubi's keen ripped his attention aside.

Distracted momentarily he caught a glancing blow to the face.

A comet of white missed him by inches.

It struck Kubi in the side as she charged for the stairs.

The silk bomb plastered her to the wall beneath an unyielding web of white. Haku rolled on the ground, fleeing spears of silk that shattered the paving stones, pelting him with shards of sharp rock. Planting a wind beneath his belly Haku catapulted himself back against the wall where Kenka and Jae coward. The thin wood gave under the impact and he ripped something free of his pockets as his feet touched down. Stunned, he scrambled to find the button on the thing only to realize it had none.

Red gold and black flashed in his palm.

It was a bath tile!

Stupidly he slapped it again the back door and kicked it in.

Magic sang; surging up his leg as the portal opened.

He shoved the humans through, deftly deflecting more barbs of white.

His world narrowed to wind and guile.

He bent both to his will to tear Kubi from the wall.

Whirling again, he shoved her through only to be afforded a glance inside.

His eyes met heaven as they fell on Chihiro.

She was standing in the middle of her futon wearing Onsen's indigo yukata.

Her hair was silver; her eyes were silver.

They glowed like the moonlight drenching her from behind.

She saw him and knew him.

She was awake.

" _Chihiro!"_ He gasped her name.

He reached for her only to be struck from behind and hurled to the floor.

Cocooned in a constricting snare of unyielding translucent white he could barely breathe let alone shout his rage. Even as he fought with every shred of his dwindling strength the snare tightened as he was towed back out into the dark. Stinging jabs stabbed him through the silk. Venom screamed through his veins like acid as he froze to stillness.

" _HAKU!"_

Her voice was the last thing he heard before he was dragged into hell.

* * *

 **CHIHIRO**

Chihiro tossed on her futon.

With a sigh she admitted it was going to be impossible to sleep without him.

Red light still filtered through her curtains, skipping off the roof tiles from the God Wing. She hoped they weren't upset that she'd gone to bed without saying goodnight. After Michio left Chihiro had a bath. Wrapping herself in the soft familiar yukata Chihiro came up to her room and threw herself onto the heavy quilt only to discover it wasn't nearly as cushioned as her mattress in Aoyama.

Ouch…

Sighing in exasperation she kicked off the quilt and thought about going back down stairs especially as distant laughter filtered from afar. Instead she found herself staring at the footprints burned into the wall. A prick of disquiet intensified in her chest as she followed them with her eyes, forced to remember what had happened in this room. The prick turned to a tight point of sourceless fear that intensified until she sat up frowning. The scar on her leg was burning with cold, aching so violently she massaged it in confusion.

Then she noticed a glint on the back of her door.

Red, black and gold: there was a bath tile fixed in the middle of the door.

She hadn't noticed it till now.

Chihiro was already on her feet as the door shuddered.

She jolted as the tile snapped in place.

A massive knell of warning tolled from the bell in her heart.

The lantern overhead burst into flames, flooding the room with angry reds.

Onsen shuddered violently as magic surged through the floor.

Chihiro gasped, recoiling as the slider kicked inward.

It skittered across the floor but the portal held as the tile remained firmly fixed.

Chaos poured across the threshold.

An arctic wind ripped through the room, tearing at her hair and robe while dragging with it the sharp chemical smells of the city. Again she jumped as shadow threw Kenka and Jae through the door. Things whizzed through the air over their heads, shattering against the adjacent wall, spraying her with splinters of wood and sticky filaments of white as someone else fell inside, thrown by the imposing figure. A God in lacquered blue armor filled the archway. She recognized the mask set into the helmet; recognized the sword in his hands. She saw his luminous jade eyes go wide behind the oculars.

" _Chihiro!"_ Haku choked as he reached for her with a gauntleted hand.

Just for a moment; just long enough for her to reach for him.

Then something smashed into him from behind.

Like some kind of Venus Fly Trap it snared him in white; swallowing his whole body and hurling him against the ground with such vicious force the shook the room. Anchoring lines went taut, pulling tight as they tore him out into the dark beyond the arch.

 _"HAKU!"_ Chihiro screamed as she stumbled to chase.

 _"Get down!"_ A woman shouted.

Chihiro came up short as her feet left the ground. Something tackled her around the middle as another assault of missiles sang over her head. One grazed through her hair ripping out a clump as it passed. The air left her lungs as her back hit the ground. Laying there stunned she saw the boiling black clambered toward the doorway. It struck with such ferocity the archway splintered and buckled inward, ripping larger as it struggled to accommodate the tide of scuttling reaching arms.

Chihiro's insides shrieked with memory.

Scores of red eyes glared from the thicket of arms.

But these monsters had voices; they had faces.

They weren't Forgotten, they were spiders!

" _Don't let it close!"_ One hissed commandingly.

Another gnashed her needled teeth, spitting venom that set the wood beside Chihiro's arm burning and hissing.

" _I can see her! I've almost got her!"_

" _No, you idiot! Not that one!"_

A black hand clawed at Chihiro's foot, catching her around the ankle as she kicked and struggled away. She screamed as it pulled, dragged across the floor only to come up short as a flashing blade fell from above, severing it. More hands grabbed Chihiro's arms and she fought them only to punch Jae square in the face as Kenka pulled her. They cowered in shock as over them towered another god wearing a mournful white mask. Its slashing lance hacked at the arms as red blood spattered the floor. Female voice screamed in agony but the arms never ceased to reach and pull.

" _Don't stop!"_ The spiders shrieked, _"Keep pushing!"_

Onsen uttered a shuddering wood splintering shriek as the entire wall gave. The mural Hidé painted as a child fractured and tore as the plaster and wood behind buckled inward. As hundreds of arms pushed and pulled the portal stretched bigger and bigger until the entire wall gave, pushed in by a trundling swarm of black casings.

" _RUN!"_

The spear bearing God's command cut short as the floor beneath their feel folded. They tumbled onto the futon as Onsen funneled them down into the kitchen. They landed hard on the nook table. It smashed beneath them as the ceiling jolted under the impact of the failed wall above. The chute the house had used to save them ripped back open, falling over them like a trap door as the rafter ribs snapped in half like brittle twigs.

Spiders spilled from above, sliding down the planks in hordes.

The surged through into the tiny space in a deluge of scrambling bodies.

Chihiro yanked on Jae and Kenka, shoving them at the kitchen door. Already on the landing, the God seized their arms and hauling them up over the banister. They spilled out into the hallway as an enormous body hit the archway behind them. The spider screamed in frustration as she struggled to force herself through only to fail, reaching after and catching hold of Jae's foot. The white faced God turned to stab at it with its spear. Anticipating this, the spider spat a blot of white right in its face. The impact knocked the God from its feet; its spear clattered to the ground as it was plastered it to the floor as the bomb of silk exploded in a sticky mess of unyielding threads.

Jae screamed as the spider hauling on him with its other hands. Chihiro and Kenka caught him, pulling with all their strength only to be dragged behind him closer and closer to the monsters brutal teeth. Doors ripped out of the wall only to close on the spider's arm as Onsen came to their rescue. The demon screamed as her shiny black claws spasmed, allowing Jae to rip himself free. Something splashed on the opposite side as smoke and a blotch of black burned its way through the thin veneer of wood. They recoiled from the acid, dragging Jae with them only to stumble over the still struggling God as it kicked its feet wildly, fighting to free itself from the floor.

"It's suffocating!" Chihiro screeched, tearing at the silk on its face.

She ripped its mask free and it gasped for air in the breech. The woman beneath wheezed. Stunned, Chihiro stared.

"I know you!"

"No time!" Kubi hissed in panic, "Get me loose!"

She was straining to free her arms from where they were cemented at her sides.

" _Shit! Shit! Shit!"_ Jae sobbed as thousands of feet trampled the ceiling overhead, making the boards jolt and bend, _"We're gonna fuckin' die!"_

Blank and silent with shock Kenka tore at the silk, ripping it up in thin shred as ahead of them the light spilling in from the great room blotted out. Onsen slammed the doors to the great room. Just inside from the stairs another set of doors ripped out of the walls and slammed shut, plunging them into pitch black. Chihiro threw herself forward, stumbling with outstretched arms until found the sliders to the great room. She jolted back against the opposite wall at the door bowed as squealed as Onsen struggled to hold back the spiders. Beyond them all she could hear was the sound of wood smashing as the invaders destroyed her home.

" _Chihiro!?"_ Kubi thundered furiously, _"Get back here, Chihiro!"_

Ignoring the kami, she backed up as step and took a deep breath. Inside the furnace of her stomach coals glowed and snapped, fed by her increasing anger. She felt the fire invade her blood, coursing up through her chest and arms until the teeming crackling power welled in her cupped palms. Jae gasped as angry red light filtered from somewhere. Embers singed her cheeks as her hair blew back from her face in hot gusts. Smoke was pouring from her lips. With each slow even breath she took Chihiro stoked the coals in her stomach. Suddenly it felt like she was going to burst into flames. Those flames surged inside her threatening to eat her alive unless she let them out.

"Open the doors!" Chihiro commanded as tongues of orange escapes her lips.

The slider hauled open, making the spiders in side look up in surprise. They froze, staring as if not sure what to make of her. A human; what harm could one lonely human bring? Chihiro became more than human as Sen emerged from within. Together they blew shuddering smoldering breath across her cupped hands. They burst into flames, sending jets of fire from her fingertips flying into the demons' faces. The spiders screamed in a shrill chorus, recoiling and fleeing as she gave the flames free reign to chase. Out of the great room; down the back steps into the garden as they clambered up the walls. Becoming a column of fire she lit up the night watching the shiny black bodies rally by ruined hole at the back of the house that'd been her room.

" _Get the fuck off my house!"_ Chihiro screamed.

Lobbing handfuls of napalm, Chihiro only scattered the invaders. With a gasp she cringed behind a shield of flame as the spiders hurled sharp shards of silk in response. The lances knocked her back physically as she absorbed the shock. They obliterated to ash before they could touch her, but _it hurt!_ Each hit was like getting punched in the gut!

She scrambled aside, ducking behind one of the huge ornamental rocks opposite the frozen sheet of the reflection pond and breathed in the flames. Chips and dust pelted her as shards of silk glanced off the rock, obliterating the guest rooms on the opposite side of the garden. Outraged by the damage, Chihiro struggled not to light the grass and everything else around her on fire as she fought to keep control of the hungry fire. The ground beneath her smoked and singed. Suddenly the barrage of missiles ceased. Calm and composed, a strange woman's voice called through the night.

"You would really burn down your own house to be rid of us?"

Chihiro was left blinking. Up until now all the things she'd ever fought her mindless hateful demons capable of minimal communication and incapable of being reasoned with. This was something entirely different. She had no idea where to start.

"If I have to!" Chihiro thundered back still struggling to swallow flames.

It was a lie and she made it count. The very last thing she wanted to do was burn Onsen down! At this rate it was becoming a possibility. The fire was getting harder and harder to keep contained. It wanted out. Sweat broke out all over her skin, running down her back and chest in rivulets as smoke poured from between her clenched teeth. She was going to have to smother it or start lobbing fire again. That, unfortunately, would mean the end of any negotiations.

"We are many, human," the spider pointed out, "There is only one of you."

"What makes you think there's only one of me!?" Chihiro threw back.

Her mouth had gone completely dry and she was beginning to get light headed.

"Perhaps because I've dealt with everyone else?"

The fire died as cold terror dumped over her like a bucket of water. Again the spider called aloud, this time with a cold demand.

"Where is Kubi?"

"Where's Haku!?" Chihiro thundered back.

"It appears we have something in common, human," the spider returned archly, "We each have something the other wants."

Cringing against the rock Chihiro silently berated herself for being such an idiot. It became painfully obvious just how out of her league she was as the spider led her by the nose into revealing all her motives.

"Here are my terms. I will keep the ones I have taken tonight. At sunrise a spider will wait for you at Uguisudani Station at the north of Ueno Park. Bring Kubi. If you do not I will kill one of those I have taken. For every human hour that follows I will kill another until there are no more left."

Chihiro was stunned. Human hours were seconds compared to kami time!

"But I don't even know who Kubi is!?" She exclaimed in a panic, "Ueno Park is _miles_ away! How'm I s'posed to get there by sunrise!?"

The spider snorted wearily.

"You are a _terrible_ liar, human. I know Kubi is here. I can smell her. If you can open a door from the park to here you can do the same in reverse."

Again the spider called coldly into the silence.

"I cannot lie, human. Believe me when I say perhaps I will kill the one named Haku at sunrise? Perhaps not? Let that uncertainty motivate you.


	44. Chapter 44

**LIN**

It was hard not to worry over the sound of the car leaving. Lin was sure Michio was gone but Sen had yet to come back. Then a light in bath wing switched on. Lin breathed a sigh of relief. So did everyone else. Usagi discretely stood to gather their untouched tea and pastries. Abruptly Cinna sat up giving the priest a scare as she beckoned vigorously. Keiichi dropped his sweet and scrambled to catch his chopsticks. Apparently the priest had recovered enough from his discomfort to eat. Judging from his slightly meaty frame Lin hazarded that the human had a sweet tooth. Kiri rolled her eyes at her brother and Amano silenced Kai's giggle with a glare, making the little boy shrink. Oblivious, the cat's red eyes never left the second had dessert.

"Neh-neh, aye'll eat tha', bunny-baby."

"You have already had two teas, Okesa," Tomoe cautioned, "You will be sick."

"So?" She made a moue at the ghost, "Don' want it t'waste, neh?"

The timid rabbit smiled secretly and came around the table to feed the eager cat before she began gathering the other plates. Unfortunately Suzume's frown intensified as again and again he glanced at the house. As the fox moved to stand Lin took hold of his sleeve and hauled him down onto his cushion. She earned herself an irritated glance as he gracelessly flopped back onto the floor.

"Leave it," Lin muttered before scooting his cup closer, "Drink your tea before it gets cold."

As Cinna craned her neck to inspect his untouched place Suzume quickly closed his blackened hands around the matcha and glared. Nonchalantly the cat glanced at the ceiling as she leaned back to put the peach shaped dumpling into her mouth whole.

"Did Miss Michio leave, uncle frog?"

Lin glanced at Hiko and found the little yuna frowning at the door as she tugged on Yoshi's sleeve. The frogman blinked then told the truth.

"I t-t-think so."

"Oh…" Hiko picked at the crumbs on her plate, "She didn't say good bye."

At once the frogmen exchanged worried glanced with Natsumi as the old yuna glanced up from her koto, all the while continuing to play quietly.

"Maybe Miss Michio had t'get home?" Little Green Frog piped up encouragingly, "I don't think she expected to be here tonight."

Ginka drooped forlornly beside her sister.

"That's nice of you to say, uncle frog, but I don't think Miss Michio likes us. I think that's why she left."

Lin's frown intensified as the frogs silently appealed to her for help. But as she opened her mouth to speak and realized there was nothing she could say to the contrary. Then Kiri spoke up and bent the truth for the child's sake.

"It's not that she doesn't like you," Kiri flashed a thin smile, "She's just scared."

"Really?" Hiko blinked as if she hadn't considered that.

"I don't want humans to be scared of us! That's just as bad," Ginka added unhappily before pointing at Tomoe as if for comparison, "If anyone's scary it's Uncle Ghost."

The shadow frowned sharply as Cinna choked on her tea. Gingerly he patted her on the back as she struggled to swallow. The cat laughed in a high hoarse rasp as she waved her hand dismissively.

" _Tch!_ Tommie's nae scary, kiddo. 'E's jus' different."

Little Green Frog and Yoshi laughed in nervous agreement. Usagi, however, did not appear to share their sentiment. She hurried back to her seat beside the gardener timidly glancing at the ghost. Following her move with their eyes the little yuna were not convinced.

"He is a little scary but I still like him," Kai put forward timidly while staring askance at the ghost, "I think your mask is really cool."

Tomoe smiled softly, no looking nearly so scary as he bowed to the boy. Amano smirked as the boy awkwardly returned the ghosts bow with an awed expression. He ruffled his son's hair, earning an annoyed glance especially as the burned fisherman smoothed the back of his hair uncomfortably.

"It's not that you're scary. We're just not used t'seein' you."

"But you've _always_ seen us, Uncle Amano," Ginka pointed out.

"Yeah, you don't count," Hiko crossed her arms and pouted.

Amano snorted, cracking a grin as he glanced at Kiri. He looked like he was about to say something when Keiichi spoke up from the opposite end of the table.

"Do I count?"

The little yuna glanced back sharply as the priest addressed them directly for the first time. The human was seriously pale but forced himself to meet their curious attention, straightening his shoulders and pushing his spectacles up his pointed nose.

"Tetsuo's right. There was a time when almost any human could see kami. But that's not the case anymore. Those of us who can see you are… surprised. It's not that we're scared, we just need time to remember you."

"Like Miss Sen!" Little Green Frog piped up in excitement, "You shoulda seen her face when she saw me for the first time at Yubaba's bath house. She was _so_ scared!"

Finally the melancholy that'd settled over the little yuna seemed to lift.

"I forgot about that," Hiko hushed with a grin, "She was, wasn't she?"

Ginka laughed out loud as she clasped her hands to her cheeks, "I remember how she kept slipping when we cleaned the floors 'cause she was gawking at us. She ran right into the wall one time. _Wham!_ "

The frogs laughed out loud at that.

"R-r-really!?" Yoshi was incredulous.

"It was so funny," Hiko grinned in glee while pointing down the table at her, "But Miss Lin got mad at us for laughing."

Lin sniffed diffidently. She looked away fighting the corners of her mouth as they tried to turn up. She couldn't lie and say it wasn't funny because it was.

"Poor thing," Natsumi murmured from her koto, "She flopped over onto her back and lay there like a stunned turtle. When she came to she was so startled to find us standing over her she backed right into the fire pit and got covered in ash."

Yoshi and Little Green Frog laughed uproariously.

Natsumi grinned into her hand, "Poor Sen ran all around the room screaming and tracking ashes everywhere. We had to scrub the whole thing clean all over again."

At once Little Green Frog elbowed Yoshi with a mischievous grin, blinking rapidly before flopping over onto his back and throwing his hands and legs into the air. Feigning concern for his brother the gardener stood over him fanning him with a handkerchief only to shrink, shying onto one foot as his friend leapt up with a girlish squeal. Continuing to shriek in a high falsetto, Little Green Frog ran as Yoshi chased around the room trying to catch him only to fail. They enacted a spontaneous buffoon's play of acrobatic near misses to an unexpected soundtrack as Natsumi narrated their antics with her koto. Cinna produced a drum from no where, adding well time percussion to emphasize their overblown actions.

At once the room was in stitches. Usagi stood clapping and laughing as she tried to get a better view. Even the humans were laughing, on their feet to see. It was impossible not to join especially as the frogs froze, pacing and circling closer and closer as the music increased in tempo until they crashed into each other, rolling backwards only to strike dramatic poses even as they sprawled. The frogs faces were hidden only for a moment and suddenly they were wearing their clown masks. Keiichi gasped in delight as they sprang impossibly high, throwing up their hands. The floor jolted as they landed as if on springs, hoping lightly only to trundle back to back and strike rakish poses.

" _Ta-dah!"_ Yoshi and Little Green Frog sang in gleeful unison.

Applause erupted over the music as the frogs bowed and bowed, affecting bashfulness as they returned to their seats. Little Green Frog whistled and teased as Usagi threw her arms around Yoshi's neck an tipped up his mask so she could kiss him. The frog turned absolutely red, shrinking shyly and hiding under his mask as Cinna forsake her drum to pound on the table top as she howled. Heedlessly jeopardizing her pilfered third dessert, she pointed and pointed only to flop over backwards to roll from side to side on the floor.

" _Quiet down in there!"_ Aniyaku shouted distantly, _"How's a frog s'possed to get any sleep in this barn yard!?"_

Bending forward holding her stomach Lin laughed until she cried.

She laughed until her face hurt; laughed until the kits kicked in protest.

She laughed until she had to put a hand to her jaw because it ached.

It took her a moment to hear Suzume. He was laughing; laughing out loud without worry. At once still she studied him from the corners of her eyes watching his handsome face transform. Suzume lit up with delight as he smiled widely behind his blackened hand. His firefly eyes flickered like the happy lamps overhead as the color in his cheeks spilled over into his robes. The fox glowed with flashing gold, rosy reds and warm oranges. All kinds of tender things scramble through her heart as he dropped his hand from his mouth, no longer bothering to hide.

Lin wouldn't have thought this possible.

It had been less than a day since Mrs. Nikkou passed away in her sleep.

It had been a handful of hours since Sen returned.

So much had changed so quickly.

She hardly caught noticed as it changed again.

At once Suzume silenced as his face fell. Blinking rapidly, Lin froze at the troubled expression contorting the fox's face. Following his gaze to the opposite side of the table Lin realized Keiichi was wildly tearing at the front of his robes as pain twisted his face. Amano was struggling to get a hold on the priest's arm as Kiri worriedly pulled Kai away from them. Wrenching himself free Keiichi staggered to the side and spilled onto the floor making Cinna and Tomoe recoil from the silver that flashed through the air.

Sengen's mirror hit the ground only to roll.

Keiichi scrambled on hands and knees to catch it.

The moment his wide eyes hit the surface the room fell into eerie silence.

Horror broke over the human's face as it reflected whatever he saw.

" _Spiders!"_ He choked on a whisper, _"Spiders!"_

Kiri gasped, bending to reveal the solid blot of black standing behind her. Amano yanked Kai away from her as it gripped her shoulders mercilessly. At once she breathed a chilling plume of white as tears froze on her pallid cheeks.

" _Run!"_

The possessed temple maiden grated the word hoarsely, pointing in union with the phantom as it lifted a shadow hand to stab a finger at the back fields. At the same moment Onsen rattled from floor to ceiling with a silent scream of forewarning as the lanterns overhead burst into light, blistering beneath the intensity of the terrifying red light. Lin was on her feet as Suzume yanked her upright shoving her towards the back door. She shrank as hideous screeching sounded distantly but held fast to his arm. She wouldn't go without him. Not again.

Looking back at her Suzume shattered against the refusal she couldn't even voice.

Then he kissed her. Lin hadn't expected it.

He kissed her again; tender even in its roughness; as if it could be their last.

"For the children, Hayashimi!"

He hushed the desperate plea against her lips.

It unbalanced her enough for him to pushing her away.

"Go!" He thundered at all of them now, "Head for the camphor tree!"

A strange momentum carried her from him.

It turned her away even as Onsen tore open a new back door.

Clutching her stomach Lin stumbled into the twilight.

She didn't stop as wood splintered and snapped behind her.

Unfamiliar magic surged at her back like a blast of ice.

She turned her eyes to the distant black wall of pines.

Her hammering heart squeezed up into her mouth as she saw a light.

Standing between the spindly trunks was a child.

The lantern at the end of the girl's pole floated over her head like an oni light.

It showed an eerie unearthly blue no mortal fire could flicker.

Not a child, her instincts screamed, but a ghost.

Something hit her from behind, tangling her feet and sending her down. Lin twisted, landing hard on her side only to roll to her back and sit up clawing the sticky mass of white threads. Her hands stuck to it as it remained firmly tangled around her ankles like a wad of pitch. Ripping Umi's knife from where she always kept it wound up in her obi Lin sawed at it, slowly cutting through the springy tendrils only to look up as a roar destroyed her concentration just as the encumbering line snapped. She recoiled as the ground shook. Cast in a dark outline against the indigo sky the second story of the main house bulged and ripped open, tearing the bridges off of the God wing and flinging blue roof tiles high into the empty frozen sky. As if in response fire belched from the interior of the kami wing, pouring out of the windows and doors as the licking hissing tendrils reached and snatched in the dark.

She tore her eyes away as familiar shouts sounded ahead of her.

" _Don't struggle, Miss Lin!_ "

Usagi were running to help her pulling Yoshi by the hand behind watched in horror as the rabbit and frog were flattened by a blur that popped as it it was unfurled into a solid sheath of white that swallowed them stared in stunned silence as the hit the ground with such force she felt the impact inside her chest. They tumbled to stillness cocooned in chrysalis ripped away, towed back by a thick line back to a God atop the hill. Lin stared at the spider as she hauled in her catch hand over like a fisherman. She, however, had eight limbs and her shiny body was thick with hard black armor that showed glossy in the moonlight. Handing her prize over the back wall Lin jolted as more spiders appeared to accept the burden. Lin cringed and shrank, grasping Umi's knife as more screams rolled off the hill.

Natsumi, Hiko, and Ginka fell in the rice fields, lost inside balls of white.

Little Green Frog sprang up to defend them only to disappear in silk

Again black bodies poured down the slope to gather the catch.

Sick to her stomach with horror all Lin could do was watch.

Cold premonition poured over her in a spasm of shudders. Lin looked back up the slope only to stare into the four red eyes glowing within the lobbed flared crest of the spider's helmet. As the rim lifted Lin saw the face within. Flawless white skin; perfect features; the kami would've been beautiful if not for the terrible sharp teeth revealed by her sneer. Scrambling to her feet Lin held Umi's knife out to the side in unspoken threat as she backed away slowly. The spider's eyes sharpened for a moment on the blade. Lin's heart sank like a stone as a second spider clambered over the back wall of the garden. Not nearly so sure as the other, the little one was still huge and frightening in her spiked lobbed armor. It wasn't a new injury but she was missing an arm and wobbled as a result of it.

"I told you to go back! It's too dangerous here!"

The bigger spider hissed as a sister might scold a littler sibling. Lin blinked, stunned by the worry in the spider woman's voice. She understood as the little one lifted the hood of its helm and revealed it was barely more than a child.

"I didn't want to leave you. What if you need me?"

"Careful!" The larger spider cautioned as Lin took a step away. "She has silver."

"Look!" The little one hushed as her red eyes sharpened, "She's pregnant!"

"I can see that," the big spider returned in exasperation.

Slowly the elder spider pulled long sharp shards of pointed opaque silk between her hands. Here little spider seized her arms, pointing with her other hands.

"Don't hurt her! The bat said we shouldn't hurt the pregnant one!"

"She's got silver. I don't want you anywhere near _silver_ or _fire_."

"Can't we let her go?" The little one urged nervously, yanking on her arms again.

"We can't. Shurui said we had to bring everyone back."

The bigger spider sounded genuinely sorry for that.

"Besides; I'm not going to hurt her. I'm just gonna pin her down."

Shaking herself free of her sister's grip the big spider lifted to an astonishing height, looking down as if judging the distance between them. Baffled by their exchange up until this point, Lin began weaving as she backed away.

"That won't help weasel woman. I'm going to catch you one way or the other."

" _Get off my house!"_ Sen thundered furiously from behind the garden wall.

At once the spiders recoiled with hisses of surprise.

Red fire rained onto Onsen's roof.

More spiders scattered in the assault of fire.

Gods, there were hundreds!

While they were distracted Lin turned on her heel and sprinted, weaving and darting as she went. She didn't stop even as something tore up the dirt beside her. Clods of earth pelted her as she re-directed on fleet feet only to stumble as something yanked her arm backwards. Again she sprawled on her back and realized her only arm was covered in the sticky white filaments. These twisted and twined up her wrist, encasing the Umi's knife and rendering it useless. Stunned, Lin followed the line anchoring her to the opaque spear that'd missed her by inches moments before. Staggering upright she hauled the lance free with all her strength and again turned to run only to crumble onto her knees with a gasp.

Something twinged deep inside her stomach sending her heart into her throat.

It pounded up into her ears as the familiar seizing pain loosened.

In a panic she tried to grasp her stomach with a hand that wasn't there anymore.

 _Oh, Gods! Oh, Gods, not now! Not yet!_

"Easy, weasel woman," the spider soothed, "We're not going to hurt you."

Lin held perfectly stock still as fear for the lives inside her robbed her of all strength. She was afraid to move; afraid to breathe as the spider cut the line tethering her to the lance. Cleverly she left Lin's hand encased in silk, binding the knife within.

"I'm going to pick you up now. If you fight me I might have to bite you. I don't want to. I don't risk poisoning your babies, understood?"

"I understand," Lin choked hoarsely.

Closing her eyes, Lin flinched as a score of hands collected her off the ground.

Lin cringed from the smell of old blood that was thick on the spider's breath.

"Suzume?" She whispered his name beneath her breath.

"Don't bother," The spider murmured, "We took care of him."

Lin blinked and lapsed into stunned silence.

It filled with the horrible sound of scuttling legs and feet.

Spiders poured and gathered around them, black trundling bodies forming ranks.

The last thing Lin saw was the dark blackened shell of the God Wing.

It stood silent mournful watch as the spiders carried her away.

* * *

 **HAKU**

Haku thought he knew hell. Loosing her twice was hell enough. Through grief, agony, slavery, and blood he had endured; but never had he known torment such as this. He led the spiders right to her. He opened the door and let them right inside. Now he knew not if she was alive or dead. He knew not is Jae, Kenka, or Kubi survived. He knew not what had become of his home or his family.

Oh, Gods! What had he done!?

Haku did not have long to think on it. The spider silk squeezed until one of his ribs snapped in a white hot stab. His scream of pain was strangled in the darkness. There was no air in the cocoon. His lung heaved; struggling for air; burning in his chest until brilliant points of fire clawed at the inside of his skull. All the while the slow icy burn of venom pumped through his veins; turning his furious pulse sluggish. Even as he raged, fighting to kick and thrash, his body betrayed him to the poison. As he lapsed into stillness the boiling pain inside his chest and head swelled to a crescendo. Before his fragile mortal body could pop like the seed pod, air flooded the vacuum inside his prison. Where on purpose or by accident a hole tore in the silk and his world narrowed to pulling in breath after shallow gasping breath.

Haku barely noticed the fact that he was moving, he was too stunned to still find himself alive. Cruel female voice laughed and chattered beyond the casing as he was battered on all sides. He was dropped and dragged though so many twists and corners he lost himself. Bobbing just beneath the surface of consciousness, Haku felt himself hoisted high until down he plunged. The fall jerked him awake as he fell into what felt like forever only to bounce. Dangling and spinning, he swung from side to side in silence.

He blinked and blinked, trying to decide whether or not his eyes were open for no light penetrated the silk. Haku cringed from the taste of the air. Stagnant and musty, it smelled strongly of old, death, rotting things. Taking a slow shuddering breathe that did nothing to fortify against the shivering panic threatening his thin shreds of calm, Haku tried to think. He could not move; could not speak. There was nothing he could he do. He found himself once again utterly helpless and trapped. Even shut up in the tanuki's closet there had been some hope. Not now. He waited now only for death.

Slowly madness invaded from the distant corners of his mind, threatening him again with unconsciousness. Haku stilled as light flickered beyond the thick filaments of the cocoon. Terror shoved his sleepy pulse into a race as something bumped into him. His hands convulsed where they lay pinned at his sides but still he remained paralyzed. The rosy light intensified as again something bumped him, again and again until he was faint with fright. He did not understand until a familiar voice hissed directly beneath him.

 _"Oi!"_ Okesa rasped irritably, "Knock it off, y'dumb lantern! Y'ain't helpin'!"

His breath caught in his throat at the sound of Okesa's voice. It was hoarse and shredded, but there was no mistaking it. He almost thought he was dreaming until tiny hands stilled his perpetual spin.

"Hang on, kitten! Aye gotcha!"

Something like small stones small pelted the side of the casing. Instantly it hissed, sagging and crumbling until it dissolved from his face, crumbling to ashes until he fell free. Down he tumbled into the cat's waiting arms. He was far too heavy and they crashed to the ground in a pile. She struggled beneath his dead weight only to seize him and hug him so firmly his injured side screamed. Gladly Haku endured the pain silently as she rubbed her soft face against the crown of his head, purring so loudly every bone in his body rattled.

"Look 'o aye found, neh?" Okesa rasped, "She brought me right t'yeh."

Haku cringed as the incandescent light flared above them. Blinking rapidly again he doubted his eyes as Chouchin sank to bump and jostled against the side of his head. He thought her dead. He thought her torn and tattered in shreds. Chouchin, however, was alive. A bit battered, and still trailing strings of spider silk, but alive none the less.

Choking on amazement and relief Haku loosed a small sobbing sound as sticky tears ran down his cheeks behind the hood of his mask. Again his fingers twitched and convulsed as the rest of him remained paralyzed. It was maddening to be free only to be trapped inside his body. His obvious distress only worried the lantern more and she paled to sickly blues, hovering over him in a panic only to have Okesa shove her aside.

"S'okay, kitten," she hushed soothingly, "Lemmie get ah look atcha."

Gently the cat laid him back on the wet stone floor and freed his face from his mask. The air, however stagnant and foul, felt blissfully cool on his face. Okesa yanked open his cloak and kimono and inspected his naked skin. Turning completely pink Chouchin whirled away. Under any other circumstances he would have been equally mortified. Haku forgot to be embarrassed as finally he caught sight of the surroundings.

His insides scrambled as he realized they were underground. Not only that, they were back in the spirit world. Tiny creatures scuttled in the dark, glaring with winking red eyes. They fled as Chouchin harried them spitting sparks. Her angry red light illuminated the old tattered husks hanging from the low domed ceiling of the cavern. Suspended on thick ropes of silk they faded in and out of obscurity as Chouchin's shifted. Her light penetrated the nearest cocoons, illuminating the desiccated shadows of bones within. Haku fell still, staring madly at the bite marks punctured the dirty shells in multiple places. Black stained the exterior in long dried lines. At once his stomach heaved.

"Don' look," Okesa whispered, quickly covering his eyes with her hand and turning his face away, "S'no body we know."

She held him closely until he stopped shaking. Still pink with shyness Chouchin returned to hover over Okesa's head as she drew back. Haku saw she was covered similarly in bits of silk. He also saw the scars of the bites on her shoulder and throat. The cat ignored his scrutiny with a worried moue. Her ears flattered and her tail twitched.

"Y'must'ah givn' 'em ah good fight 'cause they bit t'hell outta yeh."

She fixed him with a mild gaze as her red eyes tightened to slits.

"They only bite if yeh struggle. 'Member tha' fer next time. Hold still, neh?"

Before he realized what she was about to do Okesa'd chilly breath broke over his naked shoulder. He jolted as her frozen lips closed over the spider bite. She pulled and sucked, drawing out the poison. Horrified, Haku made small noises of protest. Ignoring him completely she finally drew back only to spit away from them. Her mouth was wet as she turned back and she snorted, smiling wryly revealing her bloody teeth.

"Don' look so worried, kitten, aye'm immune, neh?" She spit again, wrinkling her nose and making a grimace, " _Tch!_ Y'taste terrible by t'way."

Haku shuddered as again she returned to the task of removing the venom. Her soft mouth roved over his skin, drawing and spitting until all he could smell was the stink of his own blood. His hands opened and closed against the stones and his legs twitched. He willed his knees to bend. The right one obeyed stiffly but not the left. There was a bite at the top of his thigh and it burned with cold.

" _Chihiro!?"_ Haku choked on her name.

Okesa hurriedly straightened to spit, avoiding looking at him.

"Dunno, kitten. Ain't been able t'find nobody else 'cept t'lantern an' she found me. Dunno who else got grabbed an' who didn'."

Again he jumped as she put her hand on his knee urging it flat as she moved lower to the last bite. Haku sat up with difficulty, struggling to regain his modesty. What little blood he had finally flooded into his face.

"Enough," he forced the words out, "I am fine."

"No, y'ain't!" Okesa growled as her tailed lashed, "Hold still!"

She shoved him back against the ground, making him cringe in pain as his side screamed in protest. Her mouth found the last wound whether he wanted her to or not. He jerked again as her frozen hand flatted on his stomach. Her claws barely pricked the skin threatening him with pain should he protest again. Lying back, Haku closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, clenching his fists at his side as he drew in a long shuddering breath. The moment she straightened to spit he turned on his side away from her clutching his kimono closed and shivering again. Awkwardly he wiped the sticky tears caking his cheeks as she pressed herself into the small of his back. Glancing at her he found her intently staring into the dark as her ears swiveled wildly. Her pupils dilated as she waved Chouchin away, studying the dark with wide red eyes. The lantern paled, slowly floating in the opposite directly as something echoed distantly.

"Neh?" Okesa murmured hurriedly "Cun aye borrow some camphor water?"

Hastily he searched inside his cloak and produced the sloshing gourd. Washing out her mouth she spat again before pulling on his sleeve, hauling him onto his back again. Yanking his kimono open again she began dousing the bites, taking great care with his injured side as she massaged the water into his bruised flesh until the biting pain dulled. All the while he sputtered in mortification his face burned.

"Don' be so shy, kitten, y'ain't got nothin' aye ain't seen a'fore."

Her rakish smile fell as her ears pricked at the dark.

"Gotta get movin'. Smell o' blood's attractin' things."

Snatching up his mask, Haku picked off a solid sheet of webbing before returning it to the depths of his cloak. The cat waved Chouchin to a flickering spark, plunging the tunnel into quasi-darkness. He could barely stand without Okesa's help. His bitten leg was still numb. He was not sure the bone in his side had completely mended because it pinched painfully as he breathed. There was no way he could summon the strength to turn his cloak to armor. Pulling the hood over his head he moved as quickly as he could.

"Where are we?" Haku coughed.

"Spiders nest," Okesa hushed, "Dunno where."

Adamantly he stared at the slick smooth stone floor as they picked their way between the dangling carcasses. Okesa's ears swiveled as she glanced again and again over their shoulder. Unnerving scuttling sounds intensified at their back, thickening in the dark. Following in the tiny beam of Chouchin's light they rounded through a narrowing in the cavern only to discover a fork in the tunnel. Okesa sniffed the air only to sneeze and frown.

"All smell's t'same t'me… Death, death, and more death…"

Haku snorted humorlessly.

"That is not at all encouraging, Okesa."

As if agreeing she shrank into him. Now it was he who was holding her. The cat purred ever so quietly as he leaned into her. Reaching into his cloak Haku retrieved his broken glasses and compass. Okesa's watched curiously as he perched the lenses on his nose. The needle slowly, ever so slowly swung to the south west.

"Wot'sit mean?"

"Chihiro is not here," he breathed in relief, "They must not have taken her."

"How'dja know tha'?"

"The compass tells me the way I wish to go or the way in which I will find something or someone I am searching for. The faster it swings the closer that thing or person."

He held it out for Okesa to see. The hair on her head stood on end as the needle quickly spun back and forth, indicating both possible passages.

"The way out is to the right," Haku explained, "Our family is to the left."

Okesa frowned at his nose as her eyes dilated.

"An' t'glasses?"

"They show me things I otherwise would not see."

"Where'd y'get 'em?!" The cat breathed in awe.

"They are gifts from Onsen," Haku pronounced quietly.

Without another word they turned left. The walls dripped with water, weeping and seeping curtains of metallic tasting tears until a solid two inches of water pooled on the slippery floor. No life moved here. No scraping claws or hissing scuttling. Unfortunately Chouchin sputtered and shrank from the drips, floating closer to them as the tunnel narrowed sharply. The water rose as the ceiling sank and they were forced single file through a tight winding cleft in the rocks that sent Haku gritting his teeth in fright. He did not mind the water though it was up to his waist now, moving swiftly and pulling on his soggy robes. He did mind the close press of rock. Okesa clung to his hand as the current peaked. To take his mind off claustrophobia and to distract Okesa from her fear of the water Haku began to talk. In a rush he confessed to her the terrible guilt weighing in his heart.

"This is my fault," he apologized hoarsely, "I brought this upon us."

"Don' care 'bout blame, kitten," Okesa squealed as the current rose sharply, "Aye jus' wanna get t'others an' go home."

At once the water lowered, fanning out and moving more and more swiftly round their shins as the ceiling rose. Chouchin darted by, illuminating the velvet black river ahead of them. It cut a jagged hole in the distant rock wall, coursing out into the cavern beyond. Haku could hear the sound of the water echoing off the high ceiling beyond. Sloshing their way out into the open he sank beneath the water as the bottom dropped away into startling freezing depths. With a kick he broke the surface, easily treading water. The current was too happy to carry him to the opposite bank. Collapsing in the shallows gasping for breath, he ignored the burning stitch in his side as he caught sight of Okesa clinging to the wall white faced with terror. Reaching with his hands Haku called on the water for help once more. The cat squealed in surprise as a placid wave scooped her off the narrow shelf, carrying her across the depths to deposit her beside him.

Dripping and absolutely bedraggled, the sodden cat splashed onto the bank and shook herself in horror. Haku snorted in amusement, earning himself a venomous glare as the cat hunched and held out her arms in disgust. Standing and hobbling up the bank, dragging his soggy cloak behind him, Haku took a deep breath that sent his side aching. The blast of wind hit them both as he split it between his fingers. His hair and clothes whipped around in the furious gale. They were dry in second but every hair on Okesa's body stood on end. With perfectly round eyes she stared at him as she blinked rapidly and sneezed.

"Ah little warnin' next time, neh kitten!?"

Light poured from above as Chouchin rose over them burning brighter and brighter. Like a tiny sun she illuminated the triangular cavern, rising and setting as she darted between the mammoth ribbons of stone dripping from the roof. Crystals glinted in the dark, reflecting winking shafts of light like stars. More light absorbed into the glossy white cocoons spinning on ropes at the base of the sharp sloped ceiling. Straightening the glasses perched on his nose, Haku found his eyes directed to the casing with such pointed vehemence it instantly gave him a headache.

The others were here. He knew it with the certainty only magic could give. Okesa beat him to the opposite wall. At once the cat tore a jar of white from a hidden place; drawing out a handful she lobbed the crystals at the casing. Salt! It was salt and the white filaments dissolved in seconds, dropping the stunned frogman and rabbit to the ground. As they say there blinking in a daze Haku tore the pouch of salt from his cloak. Following the cat's example he cast the grains at the nearest cocoon. Sumirei and Kitten slipped from inside. The agile rat girl landed on her feet. The moment she caught the boy God she was running. Haku caught her by the coat tails, hauling her back into his arms lest she flee the cavern, wincing as he absorbed the strength of her kicks and scratches. She was strong; much stronger than he anticipated.

" _Spiders…!"_ The girl coughed, _"Spiders…!"_

She sagged in his arms, spilling out of his grasp to sit at his feet. Kitten stood in her lap hugging her tightly as every hair on his tiny body on end. His yellow eyes were completely dilated as they stared up at him in awe. Abruptly the cat's ears swiveled as the badger shouted in a distant panic.

"Sumirei!"

Still half coated in silk Gohan rushed over, catching them both into his arms.

"Stay with them," Haku instructed quietly.

He glanced over his shoulder only to find the rock slope choked with Gods. Aniyaku was gibbering in terror, splayed out on the ground as Little Green Frog fanned him hurriedly with his handkerchief. Glaring at the foreman frog in utter disgust Natsumi turned back to picking the spider silk from Hiko and Ginka's faces. Huddled beside them Yoshi and Usagi clung to each until it was impossible to know where one began and the other ended. The gentle gardener was singing softly trying to soothe the silently sobbing rabbit. Apart from the others standing stock still and obviously lost in shock was the human youngling Haku had plucked from the river what felt like ages ago.

Kai: that was the child's name.

Worried by the boy's state Haku approached only to watch Okesa sit up abruptly, spitting a mouthful of red onto the stones beside them. At once Haku was beside her. The broken-nosed human named Amano was laid out on the ground; eyes closed; face perfectly white against the dark stones. Okesa had torn open the stretchy fabric of his shirt. Haku blinked in horror at the human's bare chest. One shoulder and arm were completely covered in new pink burn scars. The rest of him was rittled with spider bites. Apparently he had fought hard; so hard Okesa was a blur of motion over him.

"What do you need?" Haku began in a rush, "Water? Salt?"

"'E's _human_! None o' those'll work!" The cat gasped as she paused to breathe, "Gotta get t'venom out 'fore it kills 'im!"

Haku stood there stunned by that revelation as again she pulled and spat more blood. Spider venom could kill humans!? At once Okesa distracted him from the horrible path of his thoughts as she threw a wet red hand at Kai.

"Get t'kid, neh? 'E don' need t'see this."

Abruptly Haku took Kai by the shoulders and steered him away. Reaching up the human child took his hand as he followed mutely. Haku cringed as the youngling's warm clammy fingers laced through his. The boy's hand was so very tiny and fragile. Haku was afraid he might crush it should he squeeze. Glancing back Haku saw Amano's still legs splayed beneath Okesa. His insides contracted with alarm because the black stone beneath them was wet and not with water. He had hated this human for a long time. On more than one occasion he had thought to eat the man. But now? Now his insides ached with fear for the boy's father. Not knowing what to do, he brought the boy to Natsumi.

"Will you take him, Natsumi-san?" Haku appealed.

Startled by his appearance the old yuna gaped as if he ad appeared from thin air.

"M-master Haku!?" She breathed in amazement, "Where did you come from!?"

"I am master no more, Natusmi-san," he continued hurriedly all the while trying to free himself, "Please take this human child into your care."

Kai would not relinquish his hand and Haku did not want to hurt him.

"You cut your hair!" The old yuna hushed.

She was still in shock and offered him no help. Instead it was Hiko and Ginka who came to his rescue. Hiko caught the boy by his other hand.

"Sit with us, Kai?"

Ginka pulled him a seat between them.

"Yeah, come sit with us."

Kai plopped down between them. Haku was free of the child only to have Usagi seize his sleeve, half dragging him to the floor in her haste to gain his attention.

"Miss Lin!?"

Taking out his compass Haku watched in dismay as it immediately pointed to the left. His glasses directed his eyes to the mouth of the tunnel. His heart sank like a stone into the frozen fear now churning in circles at the pit of his stomach. She was close by; probably in another cavern.

"Nigihayami-san! There's still one more!"

Gohan shouted from afar. The badger's voice echoed through the cavern, rising above the persistent hollow rush of the water. Throwing his attention to the Ueno-kami Haku found Kitten pointing insistently at the last casing. Sumirei and Gohan were having a hard time restraining the God-child. Kicking up a wind in his passing, the frogmen gasped as Haku ran. He ran in spite of his limp and the stitch in his side. Even without the help of his glasses he could see the streak of red slowly soaking through the shell.

"Join the others!" Haku ordered hoarsely as he came up beside them.

"But what if you need help!?" Gohan pointed at the casing.

"I said go!" Haku barked harshly.

The God-Children fled his wrath. When he was sure they were gone Haku gathered a handful of salt with shaking hands. So many were missing; there was no way to know who was inside. The casing was not large or small enough to rule anyone out. Dread turned the blood inside his veins to ice and his knees began to shake because already he could smell the stink of death saturating the filaments.

He prayed beneath his breath. _No her. Please not her._

Haku held his breath and threw the salt.

The silk dissolved in a hiss.

Black feathers fluttered free from inside.

As Karasu fell onto the stones Haku fell with him. He fell onto his knees beside his friend. The bird was still missing his hat. Composed as if asleep the young God's pale face listed to the side. Haku knew, however, that he was not sleeping. Blood was dried on his mouth and chin, the same blood that soaked through the hole beneath the bird's torn shirt from where the spider's lance pierced his chest. The hook was gone but its work remained.

There was no way to reconcile the relief and the despair at war within him.

One he loved lived while in the same moment another was dead.

He had forgotten. How that was possible, Haku was not sure. Now he was forced to relief the moment again in his mind. Never would he be called brother again. A moan ripped from Haku's lips as he grasped Karasu by the coat, making all the bits of bone and metal jingle one last time. Somewhere someone was keening in grief, probably the Ueno-kami. It was a terrible sound that touched something raw deep inside him. True pain; true suffering; that kind of loss was indescribable.

Haku did not realized he was the one was wailing until Usagi hit him.

He would not have thought her capable of violence.

She, however, hit him so hard he fell on the stones in a daze.

The brown rabbit stood over him grasping him by the front of the kimono.

" _The spider'll hear!"_ She hushed, shaking him for good measure.

Her perfectly round eyes found him through his daze, appealing for silence. Putting a trembling hand to his smarting face Haku glanced up only to find the other Bath House kami stand around him staring as if seeing him for the first time. They all looked astonished as if surprised to find him capable of feeling so deeply. Turning away from their scrutiny Haku found Gohan and Sumirei. Trembling visibly, they were holding each other. Kitten stood at their feet stared back at him with a solemn face that did not belong to child. No doubt as an apology for hitting him, Usagi pulled Haku into a hug. Woodenly he stared over her shoulder at Karasu's bare pale feet.

"He was my friend," Haku choked stupidly.

At once Okesa came hurtling through the bath house employees. Still covered in blood and with every hair on her body standing on end, the cat knocked Usagi over as she ripped Haku from her grip. Hauling him to his feet Okesa pointed insistently back the way she had come. The kami parted with gasps and Haku was offered a perfect view of Amano as he approached.

The human was on his feet. His shirt hung open in tatters allowing a view of the slowly closing wounds on his chest. The wet stones crackled and slicked over with ice as he passed. His breath climbed into the air in a frozen plume of white. Haku went rigid with alarm as he saw the human's eyes. They were filmed over with white. Beside him walked a thin shadow that seemed to fade with each step. It held Amano's hand tightly. In its other it held Kai's. The boy, however, was not afflicted in the same way as his father. He seemed happy albeit somewhat unnerved.

"It's okay. Don't be scared. Mom brought dad back."

Kai pointed at the shadow as if it explained everything. The child blinked, glancing at the shade as it bent its head towards his ear as if whispering something. Nodding, Kai address them once more on the phantom's behalf.

"She says she has something important to tell you."

Already premonition was humming in Haku's heart.

Cold and solemn the bell hidden there rang in warning.

"She says she's sorry."

Kai was frowning in confusion.

"She says she failed."


	45. Chapter 45

**LIN**

Glancing up at the building that housed the door Lin found it had fared no better than her home. The corner of the second story had been gutted in a similar fashion as Sen's room. It had literally been ripped open, as had the bottom floor. The whole lower floor showed through to the gaping hole left in Onsen's side. But the magic was fading, burning away like a melting sheen of frost. Looking up at the building Lin found it leaned precariously as if about to topple as the last of the spiders crossed the portal back into some kind park.

Bare black trees hung overhead like the cloud of pollutions. The sharp odor of burned plastic and metal stung her nose. Beyond the borders of the stunted wood she could hear the rush of tires; towers of lights sparkled in wreaths of color and the night sky reflected a sickly orange as if stained and faded by the persistent lights. Lin blinked and tried to see more of the high rising buildings. It had been a long time since she'd seen a human city. They were strangely beautiful in all their terrible wrongness.

As they scuttled out into the pools of yellow lamp light the spiders changed.

At once they were disguised women in black, red, and yellow kimono.

Some walked arm in arm, holding each other as if to offer comfort.

Other's carried and helped along the wounded.

In a long line they filed down the wide path that cut through the trees.

"Can you walk?" The big spider asked with genuine concern.

She hesitated in the dark stunted rose garden beside the ruined building. The pain in her stomach had returned yet but beginning labor contractions could sometimes be hours apart. There was no way to know for sure. Lin took a shuddering breath and Lin had to clear her throat to speak.

"I can walk."

"If you run I will bite you," she repeated quietly.

Lin gritted her teeth against angry words.

"I know."

As her bare feet found the cold ground Lin fought the tremble in her knees. Turning she blinked, finding her captors had changed. The spiders now wore mortal guises: black kimono with a red lining and obi with vertical stripes of red yellow and black; high piled hair of an antiquated style. The taller one held the smaller by the hand the way an older sister might. Lin was stunned as she stared at them. Both were barely more than teenagers. Their feet were bare. It was a way to tell a kami in disguise. Kami almost always forgot to wear shoes. Their unnerving red eyes were the only reminder of what they really were, otherwise it would have been hard to find them threatening.

"My name is Kuromi," the spider stated evenly, "This is Ritsuko."

The little one waved uncertainly only to have her sister slap down her hand. Lin looked away, at once sick to her stomach.

"I don't want to know your names!"

Kuromi wasn't fazed at all as she took Lin's elbow and pulled her along.

"That's fine."

The spider's hand was cold and her nail dug into her skin. Lin was hard pressed to keep up as they cut through a large courtyard with a frozen fountain. Bedraggled humans ringing tiny fires shrank as they passed. Lin stared at their terrified illuminated faces, baffled as they saw without seeing. The fantastic dark buildings they passed looked like they'd come from another world entirely. Their huge metal domes and strange latticed windows were completely unknown to her. Lin gaped as they stopped at a street light; car after car after car rushed by without end even at this early hour. Ahead of them a huge palatial building loomed. The sign in front of the gate announced _Tokyo National Museum_.

Lin's insides tightened with shock.

Tokyo: she was in Tokyo.

Glancing from the corner of her eyes she found Ritsuko studying her empty sleeve with a tight frown. The little spider was rubbing her other arm as it if hurt.

"How did you loose your arm? Did the dogs pull it off?"

Lin blinked.

"Shut up, Ritsuko."

Kuromi hauled Lin forward as the light changed. As they circled the museum they world changed as well. Buildings of amazing height sprang up clambering against each other so closely not a single blot of bare earth could be seen. No plants, no grass, no trees; only humming wires, stinking concrete, burning rubber and slowly drifting steam. More and more cars choked the roads in herds of roving metal until it seemed even precarious to walk the sides. Light glared down at them, flashing from the passing cars, cutting through the dark in harsh blades of yellows and reds. Then a train roared by ahead of them on raised tracks passing in a terrifying clicking hissing rush. Lin recoiled, throwing herself against a wall as it charged by making the ground shake ever so slightly.

For a moment Lin couldn't breathe; couldn't move.

Sickness and filth seemed to leech through every pore of her body.

Even the ground beneath her feet seemed foreign.

Not a shred of the spirit world survived here.

She was cut off completely in this place.

"How can you _stand_ it?!"Lin choked as she closed her eyes trying to block it out.

Kuromi glanced at her uncertainly.

"We're… uh…. different," the elder spider replied cryptically, "We've been coming up for a while now."

"The dogs call us tainted but they're wrong," Ritsuko explained in a rush, "We're just stronger than they are. There's only a few of us from the nest who can come up here and be around all the humans and electricity. We can even touch it, which is why mother sends us up…"

"I told you to shut up!" Kuromi snapped at her sister.

The little spider shrank. Gently this time, more gently than before, Kuromi took Lin's arm and pulled her forward. Nauseous and unsteady, Lin let the spider sling her arm across her shoulders, bearing her full weight without any trouble.

"I can carry you if you need me to."

" _No!"_ Lin choked as she stared at the ground adamantly, "I'll get sea sick."

Kuromi snorted, smirking if only for a second.

"Can you at least hide?"

"I'll try…"

Lin pulled on her mask, trying to disappear inside her tatter cloak. But it was hard to remain invisible under the searing lights. As they passed through a deep shadow at once the spiders change their ruse. Dressed in school uniforms they blended away into a crowd of similarly garbed girls straggling through the streets. Nervously Lin glanced at them again and again; worried they might see her until she felt the creep of magic coming spidering across her skin. She glanced at the bigger spider curiously.

"Don't worry. I'm disguising you as a school bag. No one will notice you."

Lin scowled, "I must be a pretty big bag."

Again Kuromi was smirking.

"You are heavy."

Further and further they pressed into the terrible world of steel and concrete until glaring green and white light poured from the signs of a strange building. _Uguisudani Station_ , they announced. The stairwells and archways belched up thickening streams of humans like ants pouring from a hive. More trains rattled and clanked on tracks behind the tall fence, only settling long enough to spew their load of humans before swallowing more and rushing off in a clatter and shriek of turning hissing wheels.

Into the mouth of the bulimic building they pressed. It bowels echoed hideously, reeking of human filths and full of terrifying mechanical contraptions of unknown purpose. Kuromi nodded to a woman in a black suit as they passed. The woman nodded back, pulling the dark glasses down her nose, watching them as she put a cell phone to her ear. It was only then that Lin realized the woman had red eyes. Lin was stunned by the spider's skill of deception. She wouldn't have looked twice at the kami she projected such a perfect human façade. She was obviously another of the acclimated spiders. Lin skin crawled at the ability.

Mounting fear tightened the inside of Lin's chest as the spiders swiped cards at a bizarre toll gate that beeped and dinged before letting them pass. She had been planning to escape somehow and find her way back to the park. But now she was lost in this labyrinth of human bodies and stinging mechanical interference. She wasn't even sure what way was north anymore. She was afraid to let go of Kuromi for fear she might fade away beneath the pressing weight of the lights.

She could hardly think or feel for the stunting blinding electricity that burned her from all sides as they shuffled with the masses down a long beige tiled corridor plastered with posters and other human detritus. Lin almost stepped on the crumpled human body. She didn't see the filthy old man until her foot nudged his hand. Stifling a scream she glanced back thinking he might be dead. He practically blended away into the dirty wet floor, reeking of urine and alcohol. But the old man looked after her with hungry dark eyes yellowed with sickness. They saw each other for a moment before the terrible rush of bodies consumed them both.

" _I'm going to be sick!"_ Lin choked.

Ritsuko put a consoling hand on her back and the spiders pressed closer.

"Just a little more," Kuromi assured her, "We're almost there."

Abruptly they cut free from the river of humans. Careening around a corner they hurried down an empty corridor towards a wall of plastic sheeting with large red signs that advised: _Danger! Construction! Keep out!_ Through the translucent plastic they pushed, continuing down the darkening hall as the lights grew fewer and fewer until they blinked out entirely. Here Kuromi brought them to a halt. As cool dark enveloped her Lin heaved a sigh of relief and knelt leaning against the wall. Her eyes adjusted immediate but her skin still felt tight and burned from exposure.

"Here."

Kuromi held out a plastic bottle. As Lin eyed it suspiciously the spider sighed.

"It's just water, weasel woman."

Lin tried to take the bottle only to remember her hand was encased in silk. Lin let the spider tip some of the liquid into her mouth. She rinsed her mouth a spat. The water tasted strongly of plastic. Lin winced, forced to stand as the kits stirred in her stomach anxiously, kicking each other and her spine as they struggled to find more room only to realize there was none.

"Is she okay?" Ritsuko whispered to her sister loudly.

"No. I'm not okay." Lin answered in a low dark voice, "You destroyed my home; you took my family; and I don't even know why."

"Mother said the bat said …"

As Ritsuko began to explain Kuromi stamped her foot and spit something at her sister. The little spider jolted back, pulling at the sticky strip of silk sealing her lips.

"Leave that there, you dumb little blabber mouth!" Kuromi commanded.

The little spider wilted as if ashamed and nodded her head slowly.

Yanking Lin by the arm Kuromi hurried them down a winding flight of stairs. Lin was forced to cling to the rail, ambling awkwardly thanks to her belly. Temperature dropped. Water dripped and splashed from above as the concrete ended and the walls became carved stone. The obdurate element muffled the lingering hum of electricity, shielding them in blissful silence. Finally the stairs ended, spilling them onto a tiled floor that ached of age. They were standing on another train platform but the tracks were corroded and pocked with rust thanks to the water running down the middle in a narrow stream. All the same a dilapidated car sat waiting on the rails as if to accept passengers. It looked like something that used to run beneath Yubaba's bath house.

A narrow suspension bridge of dirty spider silk stretched across the sunken tracks

On the opposite side was an ancient archway decorated.

It's chipped and dilapidated cornice opened upon another tunnel of carved stone.

It took Lin a moment to see the archway was actually a torri gate.

As they crossed the bridge magic seeped through the stones beneath her feet.

Lin wilted in relief as they crossed into a narrow slip of the Spirit World.

Kuromi picked her up again, carrying her past a long line of spider women in glossy black armor bearing long sharp silk lances. Their glowing red eyes were the only light and they followed after them curiously. Lin dropped her head, no longer looking as Kuromi's pace quickened beyond the ability of two legs. Wind whisked over Lin's skin as they wove through a dizzying network of dark dripping tunnels. The air was cold and clean but every so often she caught a whiff of stagnation and old rotted death. For a moment the ceiling lifted to a staggering height and all Lin could hear was dripping, cascading, and rushing water. Then once again they were gulped by stone and an angry hissing voice replaced the sound of the underground river.

"I told you not to bite the pregnant one!"

A furious old woman raged distantly.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!"

A young woman pleaded in terror.

"She's a monster!"

Another put forward as if still afraid.

"You should've seen her fight! We had to bite her!"

Again the older woman barked.

"She's _human_ , you stupid little bitches! How monstrous can a human be!?"

Kuromi went perfectly still and rigid at the sound of flesh hitting stone as one of the voice cried out in pain. Rage erupted from the spider and she burst into a dizzying rush of speed that left Lin clinging to her almost fearfully. Doors kicked in, thrown wide by an assault of legs revealing a sparsely furnished room lit by candelabra baring several globes of angry scuttling black mushi that emitted a dusky red light. Lin was unceremoniously dropped onto the stone floor as Kuromi surged forward hissing and spitting silk, dressed in her armor once more. Spider woman scattered away from a white cocoon as lances shattered around them. Lin threw herself to the ground cringing from splinters of white. With a shrill piercing screech an old bat dressed in Chinese robes madly scrambled aside to hide in the safety of the stalagmites piled throughout the room. She wasn't kami. Lin knew that as soon as she saw her. The bat was an outsider: a God of another land.

"If you ever hit one of my sisters again I'll rip your wings off!" Kuromi thundered as loudly as possible, _"Do you hear me, bat!"_

Again the bat screeched painfully as the spider's voice boomed and echoed.

"I hear you just fine you _loud-mouthed_ little brat!"

Clamping her hands over her huge telescopic ears the bat cringed as she emerged with a churlish moue. Scratching her ropy black wig with a long stick as the lobed snub of her tremulous fleshy nose twitched curiously. Blinking sightless black eyes, she cocked her head from side to side, listening to their every move. Then she snuffled the air almost obsessively, leaning forward and reaching out to catch at the edge of the stone pillar with a sharp claw, clinging to the stone as if ready to climb it. Judging from the thin shredded membrane of her weak atrophied wings that bat would never fly another day in her life.

"What have you brought, Kuromi?"

Incensed, the spider jabbed several fingers back at her.

"I brought the one you asked for, you stupid old bat!"

Lin's skin crawled as the bat lifted her nose and vigorously snuffling the air all the while jerking her head spasmodically. She blinked sightless eyes and licked her snot slick nose with a long sinuous tongue, baring sharp, sharp teeth in a hideous grin.

"She's not the one I asked for. _That's_ the one I wanted."

The bat jerked her head at the cocoon. Lin's insides scrambled in horror as she realized blood was seeping through the silk. The bat bared her teeth again and hissed at the cowering spiders. One had a fat lip. She hid behind Ritsuko. The little spider was back in her armor wringing a lance as if barely refraining from throwing it at the bat.

"One of your stupid little sister _bit_ her even though I told them not to. Now she's dying and she's _useless_ to us if she'd dead."

Kuromi's faced tightened with anger and confusion.

"But this one's pregnant. I thought you saw a pregnant woman?"

Again the bat tipped back her head to snuffle the air, stumbling back from the column of stone and trembling as if barely able to hold up the weight of her body.

"Curious… So _very_ curious," the bat muttered madly.

Kuromi jolted as the wet floor beneath the cocoon suddenly frosted over.

She flinched as the temperature in the room plunged.

"What's going on, Bah-Fu?" Kuromi demanded as she produced lances of silk.

"I… I don't know."

Uncertainly the bat shrank all the while twitching her enormous ears.

"I thought you saw the future!?" Kuromi hissed, bearing her teeth.

"The future is written in blood, you fool! Blood fades and smears and changes!" The bat screeched as she clambered up the wall, " _Everything_ has changed!"

The mushi overhead stilled and dimmed as if lulled by the cold. As they did the cocoon's dim shadow thickened and stretched. Lin watched in horror as she finally realized who lay bleeding inside. Slowly the shadow straightened over the husk quaking as if in fury. Ice snapped like a living thing as it surged across the floor, eliciting gasps from the spider woman as they fled up the walls. Lin scrambled backwards and encountered stone. But the black sheet forked around her harmlessly, chasing after the spiders in cracking surging arms of ice. Kuromi shrieked as she sprang from the wall to a stalactite. She caught Ritsuko as her leapt fell short, yanking her up to safety.

Her sisters followed but the one with the fat lip wasn't quick enough.

The ice caught her by one leg affixing her to the wall.

She struggled to push away as more ice frosted over her limbs.

Before she could scream the hoarfrost engulfed her.

Her whole body splintered as the ice heaved and snapped.

The spider shattered, falling in pieces that skittered across the frozen floor.

Lin scrambled upright as one of the pieces slide close to touching her foot. With her heart hammering in her ears she carefully sidled across the slick floor towards the door. The ice burned against her skin but it didn't claim her the way it had the shadow. As Manami intensified to the point of visibility the cocoon began splintering as the ice swelled and stretched the tendrils to the point they snapped. Glaring overhead at the clambering spider the ghost raged. Snow coalesced out of the air around her as she stomped her feet and making the whole room quake. One of the stalactites snapped and smashed to the ground not far from Lin, making her cringe into the wall as the impact sprayed her with flecks of stone and dust.

" _Mother!"_ Ritsuko's voice echoed louder than Kuromi's, _"Mother help us!"_

Another column of stone shattered at her back Lin reached the door.

In a cloud of dust and stone she came up short on the threshold.

Over her stood the biggest spider woman she had ever seen in her entire life. Easily twice Suzume's height she had six arms and wore layered kimono of black, red, and yellow like her children. Her obi, however, was patterned with hypnotic hour-glasses. Calmly the kami surveyed the interior of the room with her four red-eyed not so much as flinching even as ice surged forward to snap her up. Again it forked harmlessly but not because Lin had shielded the God from Manami's fury. Lin took a slow shuddering breath as the very tip of the spider woman's spear of silk rested against the hollow of her throat. Slowly the pressure increased, forcing Lin to walk backwards into the room. Ice fled from them, retreating with more bone-jarring cracking.

"Turn around," the spider queen instructed gently.

Lin complied with rigid movement, flinching as the spider returned the point of the spear to the middle of her back. Licking her dry lips Lin stared helplessly at Manami. The ghost had ceased to rage. Instead she crouched at the heart of a sea of ice beside the splintered husk. Carefully she retrieved Kiri's from inside, holding the woman's slack form in her arms. The sleeve of the human's white kimono was stained with red.

"I am sorry," the spider queen called aloud as if she genuinely regretted it, "This was not supposed to happen."

Lifting her dead white eyes the ghost glared with all the fury of hell as she unleashed a bitter gust of wind, pelting them with the snow that continued to fall over her in piling drifts. Lin gasped as the bitter cold blew through her like never before. She shivered violently as all the sweat on her body froze solid.

"I cannot save her children but there is still time for me to save her!"

Here Manami's mask of wrath faltered if only for a moment.

"Here are my terms, spirit," the spider queen shouted hurriedly over the ghost's wind, "You must give up the human and leave. Do not return to this world again. I will keep this kami woman as proof of your promise. Should you break your vow her life is forfeit. In exchange I will save the human woman's life.

The spiders gasped overhead and one slipped on the slickening rock, dragged at by the frozen fingers of the gale. The spider queen's eyes flew to them for a moment in a panic. The point of her spear disappeared and she slammed it into the stone, clinging to it and throwing up several of her arms against the howling wind as it intensified to the point that it blew Lin backwards. An enormous hand caught her, holding her up.

"Decide now!" She shouted, "There is little time left!"

At once the wind died. Lin coughed and choked as she peered through the placidly falling snow. The ghost was gone taking the fury of the afterlife with her. Lin didn't know how to feel as the spider woman surged by, hurrying to the blot of black hair trailing amidst the snow. Lifted her shaking hand to wipe the ice from her face she realized the silk was gone. She gripped the knife in her hand only to secret it back into her obi. The ghost had not left without giving a gift. But even as the spider sister scuttled down the wall and many hands claimed her Lin knew now was not the time.

"Shurui!" Bah-Fuh called clamorously as the bat slid down the wall, clambering to keep a hold on the stone, "Shurui, everything has changed!"

The spider queen laughed dismissively, ignoring the bat as she bent over Kiri.

"You're an idiot, Bah-fuh. I saved you from Shitamachi because you can see, not because you can interpret. You remain so blind even with all your powers."

"I'm happy to be blind so long as I'm no longer shackled by those dogs."

As the bat clambered down the wall she snuffled the air curiously.

"There's a hole in your ceiling, Shurui. It smells like water."

"It must have opened up to the main cavern outside."

Shurui gathered the human against her bent knee. Yanking open the girl's kimono the spider sliced open her finger on the point of her lance. Red welled and she dabbed it onto the human's bare flesh. Lin's stomach turned at the sight and she turned away fighting the urge to be sick.

"Is it sunrise yet?" Shurui inquired of her daughters.

"Almost, mother," Kuromi answered somewhat shakily.

"Bring me the one named Haku."

"Yes, mother."

At once the spiders were gone. Their fleet feet skittered loudly against the stone. Lin's mouth fell open as the revelation moved her to words.

"Haku is here!?"

"Who do you think opened the door that let us in?"

Lin sagged as that truth took all the strength from her legs. She couldn't believe it. The betrayal was too much. Shurui went on to defend Haku for some baffling reason.

"Don't think badly of him. He was trying to save the kami that live in the park."

But here the spider grew frightening as a hollowed darkness crept into her face. Hatred flared in her blood red eyes.

"Kubi thinks she can hide in that stupid smoke of hers but it only masks the smell of spider blood. She must've grown attached to him because she saturated him in it recently. I used the stink of it to track him down but I waited to send my daughters after him until now. Bah-Fuh saw that he would open a way for us to find you."

Lin slid into a crouch against the stones once more.

"Why!? What do you want from us!?"

Immediately Lin covered her belly protectively as the spider's gaze centered there.

"How much to you love the father of your children?"

The question caught her off guard. It made her remember the last she'd seen of Suzume. She had to fight through the painful twisted closing her throat to speak.

"With all my soul."

The spider was looking directly at her now.

"If he was taken from you would you let anything come between you?"

There was no hesitating. The answer was immediate. All the same it left her even more confused and conflicted.

"No."

"Then you understand what's motivating me," Shurui continued in a powerful voice, "I am and will always remain the hands of Garuda."

" _Mother!"_

A voice called distantly, echoing down the tunnel. At once Shurui stood holding Kiri in her arms like a child. The spider frowned, coming forward to the door as the mad skitter of feet approached. Kuromi careened around the corner and fell at the spider queen's feet gasping and struggling to free the words that fell from her lips.

" _They're gone, mother! They're all gone!"_

* * *

 **HAKU**

Kai's frown intensified as he looked up at him now as if for explanation.

"What's she talking about?"

Haku stared blankly at the boy just as baffled as he.

"I… I do not know."

Suddenly the ghost took back her hands and turned away. Kai turned after her.

"Wait! Where're you going, mom!?"

Kai spun back as Amano wavered beside him.

" _Dad!"_

Haku darted forward to catch Amano as the human crumpled to his knees. Shaking from head to toe the broken-nosed male sat back on his heels, yanking back his arm only to seize his son. The kami looked on in silence as the ghost slowly picked her way up the slope with obvious difficulty. She faded and dimming with every step until she reached the wall, sagging there as she strained to sweep her hands across to the stone. Haku pulled Amano to his feet as the man tried unsuccessfully to stand. The male was staring after the shadow with gray eyes that widened in recognition.

" _Manami!"_

He shouted after her, reaching as the ghost turned to look back for a moment. Then she fell, dissolving even as she floated backwards like a bit of mist. The moment she settled on the floor a doorway ripped up out of the stone. Complete with a shale doorknob it remained even as the ghost disappeared. Slowly Amano lowered his hand staring at the archway with a stricken expression. Kai's face crumpled in confusion.

"W-why'd mom make a door, Dad?"

Chouchin floated down to illuminate it curiously. Haku knew as the bell inside him rang with certainty. Without a word he strode up the slope and reached inside his cloak. He produced another bath tile and slapped it to the stone door. It snapped into place as he turned the knob. Hauling the portal open Haku stared into the dark interior.

Satako's hospital room smelled strongly of chemicals and plastics. Even as the kami clambered around him Haku encouraged speed and cautioned silence. Yanking on masks and cloaks they dissolved into obscurity, clambering into the corner of the room until it teemed with Gods. Okesa stood watch at the door, nodding to him as Kai led Amano through by the hand. They were the last. But they did not close the portal. Haku would not be staying long. Coming over to Satako's beside he pulled up the same chair he had sat in not long ago. She was curled up on her side hiding the terrible scar that cut through the opposite side of her skull. Sheets of paper protruded from under her pillow and there was a pencil still clutched in her hand.

"Satako?" He murmured quietly.

"Hnnn?" She turned her face into her pillow and sighed.

Haku smiled in spite of himself as his heart warmed.

"Satako, it is Haku."

"I know."

She sighed again, this time gustily.

"I'm mad at you. You lied t'Chihiro an' told her you were someone else an' on top of that you haven't come t'see me for almost a week."

He cringed, trying not to see Okesa as she waved at him vigorously.

"I am sorry, Satako."

Here she went still, probably hearing something in his voice. She turned over to blink up at him while rubbing her eye sleepily.

"You okay?"

"No," he forced a frail smile unable to lie, "I am not."

She frowned at him, suddenly far too serious than any child should be.

"What's wrong?"

"I… I have a favor to ask. Amano and Kai are here. So are the Bath House kami. Will you see that they get home safely?"

At once she sat bolt upright, staring past him at the room until he stood over her collecting her face into his hands. Hurriedly Haku planted a kiss on her forehead, already turning to go. There was no time for anything more. He prayed it would be enough.

" _Wait!"_ She shouted after him.

Haku plucked the tile from her side of the door catching a glimpse as he pulled it closed. For a stunned moment he saw her lurch from her beside. Satako walked. She walked without the aid of her cane. It was such a wonderful thing to see her well again. It returned to him an uncommon surge of strength he had not known was possible. He hoped to thank her for the gift some day.

Haku closed the portal before she could reach him.

He sagged for a moment with his hands pressed against the stone.

The kami were safe with Satako.

Amano would see them home even if she could not.

Haku's work, however, was not done yet.

Prying the second tile off the stone wall Haku clicked the pair together and shoved them into his cloak. His compass was in his hand and he was already striding down the slope following the needle. Okesa followed at his side. In a blur she traded her torn jeans and shirt for the black gi she had worn when she rescued him from the tanuki. Reaching into his cloak he held out her fans.

"These belong to you."

The bells jingled softly as she snatched them up with a gasp, skidding to a halt to inspect them closely before looking up at him like he was some kind of God. Then she seized him by the front of his robe and yanked him down. Planting a firm wet kiss on his lips she grinned, rasping as she spoke.

"Y'dunno how happy y'jus' made me, neh kitten."

Heat flooded his face as he silently straightened his disarranged robes.

"Saw y'ogglin' yer shiny earlier when bunny-baby pitched ah fit over sour-puss," Okesa pressed, "Gotta idea 'bout where t'look fer 'er?"

"Lin is here but I know not where."

Okesa seized his elbow, yanking him to a standstill as her ears swiveled wildly.

 _"Spiders!"_ She hissed quiet.

Whirling away Haku threw his eyes at the cavern and knew there was no way to hide here. There was not enough time to go back the way they had come. Abruptly the needle of the compass turned. Settling his eyes on the rushing black ribbon of water Haku turned and picked up Okesa.

" _No, no, no!"_

She hissed and spit as her wide eyes stared in terror at the water. Haku held her firmly even as Chouchin darted ahead of them, diving into the tunnel and lighting the way. Together they plunged into the river, whisked away in seconds. Shouts and enraged screams echoed from afar over the gushing voice of the river.

" _They're gone!"_ The spiders shrieked incredulously.

At once the current picked up and they overtook the lantern. Okesa's claws sank through his skin as the river shallowed only to pour over a lip. They plunged over the edge, skidding down the slick stone trough. His heart poured up into his throat as the swift plunge sang in his gut. Haku's insides clenched as a familiar bone rattling roar gathered ahead of them. Overhead Chouchin sputtered and blinked red and blue in warning. Already Haku knew what lay ahead. Okesa's scream was swallowed by the snarl of the massive waterfall. The rock beneath them fell away as they were tossed into the air.

Already Haku had the umbrella in his hand. It opened even as they fell. Buffeted from below by the bellowing breath of the cascade they rose slowly. Pink with enthusiasm Chouchin circled them with dizzying speed. Crackling happily, the lantern looked as if she had enjoyed every minute. Okesa hissed and clawed at her as Chouchin bumped them cordially. Haku laughed in spite of himself, wincing as she sank her claws into him.

"S'not funny!" She sobbed over the quieting roar, "Aye's not ah fish 'r ah bird!"

The poor cat's hair was too wet to stand on end and she quaked violently.

"It is alright, Okesa," He soothed while holding her close, "Neither am I."

"S'not alright!" She burred her face in his neck, "We's gonna fall!"

"We will not fall, Okesa. Trust me as I trust you."

"K-kay…" She choked hoarsely.

That seemed to calm her. No longer in danger of being squeezed to death Haku spared a glance around and found they had drifted into a large cavern. Water poured down the walls, plunging down distantly. Tokyo seemed to be rittled with such things. He could not spare a hand to glance at his compass but followed Chouchin instead. The lantern ghosted ahead of them like a pale guiding star only to come up short as a harried voice echoed up out of the swallowing dark.

" _They're gone, mother!"_ A spider gasped breathlessly, _" They're all gone!"_

Pale red light filtered from below as slowly they sank. Haku could see it through a hole in the stone. At once the glasses on his nose wrenched his eyes downward. Hake froze as they directed his eyes right to Lin.


	46. Chapter 46

**CHIHIRO**

Laying there like a stone in the frozen dark, Chihiro cringed from the sounds of a thousand scuttling feet. She slapped her hands over her ears trying not to hear the spiders leaving. The hideous sound clawed at the inside of her head, making her want to throw up. She wanted to scream just to make the sound go away. She was about to when she realized it had gone quiet. Slowly lifting her hands she blinked, listening to the unnerving quiet. Afraid it might be a trap, awkwardly she clambered on her stomach to peek around the rock.

The roof was empty.

Chihiro stared as she went cold and heavy.

Her room was a gaping crater that sent the back of the house sagging.

"Suzume?" Chihiro hushed tremulously.

Seconds ticked by and then nothing.

"Suzume!"

Chihiro called his name louder this time only to find herself standing alone.

She was on her feet, stumbling as sharp bits of rock cut the bare soles. Sprinting through the garden she shoved open the back gate only to recoil with a strangled scream. The burned blackened carcass of an enormous spider lay still hissing on the icy grass. Curled up on itself in a gruesome tangle of spindly legs it was still smoldering, slowly decaying into a pile of ash. Fighting the urge to puke she lifted her eyes and stared up at the ruined hulk of the God wing. It leaned precariously as if ready to topple over any second. The windows were ripped out and the bridges hung in tatters. The walls above the windows were scarred with hazy trails of smoke. It looked like the interior had been burned.

It had.

Scrambling around more ash piles and clambering up onto the porch Chihiro gritted her teeth as she picked her way through broken pottery and glass. Onsen was dark and silent. Not long ago it had been so full of light and life. She hardly recognized her home. Shattered wood teeth lined the blackened lips of the mouth yawning over her now. The entire interior was scorched and smelled like burned fur. Forcing herself forward through chilling terror Chihiro crept through blowing ash, cringing as she tried not to breathe it in, searching in the gloom for the small sobbing sounds coming from inside.

Keiichi sat in the middle of the empty floor. Everyone else was gone except for him.

Bent over his knees the priest was clutching a mirror over his head like it could shield him. Somehow it had. He was circumscribed by a perfectly untouched circle but the rest of the room had been burned beyond recognition. The priest was shaking violently and his eyes were screwed shut. His glasses were askew, barely perched on the tip of his nose. He jerked as the floor creaked beneath her feet, recoiling as he cracked his eyes as if terrified of what he might see. She clenched her fists barely restraining the urge to hit him as he stared with uncomprehending gray eyes.

Standing over him Chihiro's inside boiled with rage.

 _Why him!_

Why'd they take everyone else but left _him_!

Keiichi stammered in a tiny disturbed voice.

"She tried to save Kai and Tetsuo but they… they _bit_ her! They took her! They took K-Kiri away!"

Stunned, Chihiro forgot her urge to punch him as she stared at him uselessly. Dropping his eyes he looked past her toward the house as if seeing far off into something else. The priest cringed from shredding sounds as a blot of something black stretched and moved at the back of the room. Tomoe was tearing at the layers and layers of scorched silk plastering the back wall. There was something bundled behind it; something motionless and strangely person shaped.

" _Help me, Sen!"_ The ghost called hurriedly, _"Help me get him down!"_

Chihiro was already running with her heart in her throat because a shred of silk peeled up from the wall revealing a blackened hand. She tripped and clambered over pieces of broken furniture. At the base of the wall she caught a trailing shred of silk. Pulling with all her might only to have it disintegrate in her hands sending her sprawling on the floor. The ghost was having no more luck.

" _Get back,"_ Tomoe instructed tersely, _"I will bring down the wall."_

Chihiro scrambled away as the ghost transformed. He swelled and stretched until he looked way too much like Kaonashi. Her insides scrambled uncomfortably at the unnervingly familiar sight. With enormous black fists the phantom punched the wall to either side of the bundled form rending wood and paper as he physically ripped the fox down. Gently Tomoe eased Suzume down and Chihiro collapsed beneath the fox's weight as she tried to catch him.

He was so very quiet, so very still.

At once she was clawing at the silk at what she thought was his face.

Silent tears she hadn't noticed hissed and fizzed where they fell on the fibers.

The filaments dissolved, helping her peel back the burned filaments.

As the casing breached he gasped a long grating breath from inside.

Suzume struggled weakly only to fall still again.

But she could hear him breathing.

Stunned with relief, looking up Chihiro found a fox shape seared into the remnants of the wall. Burn marks climbed all over the room from that spot, raking across the interior as a testament to his struggle. Silk could smother fire. She'd seen it on the Science Channel. Had the ghost not been here to tear him down Suzume would've suffocated! Terrified by that thought she hugged him close only to get stuck to the threads. Not caring, she held Suzume doing her best not to break down like she had so many times before. Chihiro could cry all she liked but that wasn't an option anymore; not for Sen; not with her house hanging over her head in shambles; not with her family gone; not now that the spiders had taken Haku.

Dawn could be minutes or hours away.

There was no time to cry.

She fought to peel herself free from the casing, ripping one hand free only to leave her other behind. Chihiro firmly planted her feet on the ground and stood. Her hands peeled free, taking most of the skin with it as she toppled over backwards. Lying beside Suzume Chihiro struggled to catch her breath. She tried to ignore the screaming need for a drink of water aching in her throat. Tomoe ghosted to her side offering a slightly scorched bucket. Inside was water. Cool, cool water. She doused herself in her haste to gulp it from her hands, choking on her question as she did.

"Why didn't they take Suzume or Keiichi?"

" _They are bound by their vows,"_ Tomoe hushed in his ethereal voice, _"They cannot be taken even by force."_

Chihiro glanced up at him with unnerved uncertainty.

"Why didn't they take you?"

" _I am dead."_

Chihiro flinched from the word. Sorrow thinned Tomoe into the palest outline as he sank to his knees beside her.

" _I do not understand, Sen. Okesa did not run or fight. She stood there until they took her. Why? Why did she let them take her?"_

The ghost pleaded to her with his eerie endless jet eyes. Chihiro couldn't meet his gaze. It hurt her too much to see. The raw grief twisting Tomoe's marble brow was far too close to the hole of loss in her heart. She didn't know why. She didn't know why any of this had happened. Fighting to swallow the lump in her throat as Chihiro appealed to the burned ceiling.

"Bring them to me?"

The house shuddered, making Keiichi sob louder until he got the hiccups. Then she heard a distant sound. It grew louder and louder until she recognized it.

" _SHIT!"_

Jae was screaming at the top of his lungs as he and Kenka catapulted out of the gaping hole that was the back of the kitchen, ushered along by two orange seat cushions. The pillows flung them across the space between the houses only to dump them. On the other side shredded blue cushions leapt from the floor to catch the guys mid air, gently doling them onto the floor next to Keiichi where they lay twitching in terror. Jae scrambled to his feet hauling on Kenka uselessly as he recoiled in terror from Tomoe as the ghost floated closer to inspect them. Apparently Kubi was a difficult passenger. Ferrying her from the main house took an entire futon rolled up like a log. Kenka yanked Jae back down, flattening them to the ground as the bedding bunched on the back porch only to spring over the divide and land on end, leaping again over their heads before it flopped over and unrolled.

Still covered in spider silk and dizzy from the trip Kubi spilled on the floor as Chihiro stood. The kami was back in her green kimono and not nearly so impressive. Like a coward Kubi tried to run. Incensed, Chihiro stomped her foot, jolting the entire room. Rubble jumped off the ground and snapped into an impermeable lattice over the garden windows barring the kami's path. Lithely Kubi spun on her heel; silver eyes flashing in the dark in search of another way out. More than pissed, Chihiro reached into the air and pulled with her hands. Magic surged from the furnace in her heart, coursing through her body till her eyes ached from the tingling raw heat. Boards ripped from the barricade at her call slamming into Kubi from behind as they roughly ushered her back to the floor at Chihiro's feet. The boards ensnared her in a whirling twist until she was pinned in a cage of tented spokes.

"They took them!" Chihiro snarled.

Black tendrils of smoke blew from her lips, showering Kubi with bright red embers. Kubi cringed from the hungry bits of fire, slapping at them hurriedly before throwing up her hands as if silently admitting how stupid it was to run.

"I know."

She was sorry; really, _really_ sorry. That was only thing that saved her from Chihiro's fury. Chihiro stamped her foot and again the whole building shook.

"Why do they want you!"

Kubi's lips drew into a grim line.

"Because I have this."

The God-woman pulled a small cloth wrapped bundle from her kimono. She let it unroll, spilling the brass bell out onto the floor between them. Chihiro sputtered incredulously, lighting up the room with the fire in her eyes and making the tatami beneath her feet smoke and smolder.

" _That's it! A stupid fucking bell!"_

Kubi absorbed her fit with a mild frown as she swaddled it one more.

"It's more than a bell. It's the key to the cavern under Ueno Park."

Chihiro was too upset to absorb that.

Pacing now she tracked a line of black footprints back and forth across the tatami.

"I have till dawn before they _kill_ someone! That someone could be _Haku!_ "

Kubi grimaced again, "I heard."

"Then explain!"Chihiro commanded as she breathed fire, "Make me understand why I shouldn't just give you to the spiders!"

The strange God woman gazed up at her with unyielding colorless eyes.

"If the spiders get into the cavern, if they get their hands on what they're looking for, Shurui will destroy Shitamachi. Thousands of kami will die."

" _Did you say Shurui?"_

Tomoe jolted, lifting his jet eyes to stare at Kubi in shock. Chihiro didn't hear the ghost. In a panic she bowled right over him trying not to hear what Kubi just said. She didn't know what Shitamachi was but she understood the last bit clear enough. Chihiro appealed for some other answer.

"But she'll kill Haku," Chihiro repeated stupidly, "She'll kill all of them!"

Kubi's unwavering gaze was grim and resolute.

"That's why she took them. Shurui knows she can manipulate love into fear."

Chihiro shook her head refusing to accept what the God-woman was saying. As she opened her mouth to argue Kubi silenced her with a chilling admonishment.

"Are a handful of lives worth tens of thousands? Are they worth bringing the last vestiges of the Tokyo spirit world to extinction? Grow up, little girl. There're more important things than getting what we want."

Chihiro fires extinguished leaving her cold and terrified in the dark. Every bone in her body seemed to dissolve as she crashed to her knees. She stared at the floor as loss robbed her of all feeling. Her head emptied out all she closed her eyes. Even then all she could see was his face; his sweet worried green eyes; his shy awkward bow and his rare heart melting smiles. She cringed from the memories.

What good was remembering him?

What good was coming home if she was going to lose everything and everyone?

This couldn't be the end. She wouldn't let it be the end.

This was her story. She'd make a different ending.

Lifting her face Chihiro glared at Kubi.

"We're going to go get them back."

The God woman laughed. It was a bitter scornful sound.

"No one the spiders take ever come back."

All eyes went to the priest as he laughed with shrill unsteady excitement.

He sat clutching his mirror, staring madly at the reflection.

" _Salt!"_ Keiichi exclaimed triumphantly, _"The cat brought salt!"_

Jae and Kenka retreated nervously as Keiichi clambered to his feet pushing his glasses up his sweat slick nose. He began rooting around in the rubble looking for something. As if understanding Tomoe skated forward to help.

 _"Here."_

The produced a glass jar and offering it with transparent fingers. Hurrying to Suzume's side Keiichi unscrewed the lid and emptied the contents over the fox. Chihiro blinked rapidly as salt skittered and silk hissed. It shriveled and corroded as it had for her tears, disintegrating into ash and falling away in helpless shreds.

Kubi craned her neck from her cage, "I didn't know you could do that."

"Apparently you don't know everything!" Chihiro threw back nastily.

Chihiro didn't hear whatever Kubi said in reply.

She went perfectly still as she realized the fox was awake.

Suzume's gold eyes remained firmly fixed on the ceiling as slowly she knelt beside him knowing he'd heard everything. His lips were a familiar thin line. Chihiro could see the muscle jumping at the back of his jaw. She wasn't used to seeing him like this. Normally the fox was quick to anger. She would've expected him to burn away his cobwebs, jump up and throw a fire fit just like she had. Instead he'd lain there and quietly listened. Chihiro didn't know what to think.

"Hayashimi?"

He asked in a voice only she could hear. That was Lin's name; her true name. Chihiro swallowed with difficulty and shook her head. She didn't trust herself to speak. Suzume closed his eyes as he sagged and crumpled in despair. Chihiro flustered uselessly as she watched grief transform him. He looked so very human; so very fragile. Then the fox pushed himself upright, standing over her so swiftly Chihiro recoiled. Bleached of all color as if made of the spider silk that nearly smothered him Suzume stared at Kubi with undisguised animosity. He vibrated with quiet fury until the entire room fell to eerie stillness. Startled by his appearance Kubi flinched from the burning weight of the fox's eyes.

"You are unwelcome, stranger," Suzume pronounced with deadly calm.

Jae loosed a breathy squeak and flattened against the wall as the fox glanced at him. The humans had gotten up and were probably inching their way out from the look of it. They weren't going anywhere now. Kenka took a step in front of his friend, shaking from head to toe even as he struggled to meet Suzume's gaze. Chihiro blinked as the fox offered his hand, helping her upright without taking his eyes of the humans.

"This is Jae ad Kenka," she stammered hurriedly.

Suzume's intensity didn't waver as he studied them suspiciously.

"How is it you have come here, humans?"

"K-Kou brought us," Kenka whispered.

"This isn't their fault," Chihiro hissed, silently appealing for patience as she yanked his sleeve, "You don't need to scare them!"

Suzume ignored her.

"Who is Kou?"

"Nigihayami," Kubi cut in quietly, "Kou's what the humans call him."

 _"Where is he!"_

Jae and Kenka flattened against the scored wall, shrinking and cowering as Suzume rounded on Kubi. This time Kubi weathered his rage.

"They took him right after he opened the door."

Keiichi cowered beneath his mirror as finally the fox's false composure broke. The air charged with crackling static as blue fox fires snapped and popped to life, whizzing around in the rafters and flooding the room with unnerving incandescent blue light. Dim shadows thickened and scrambled amidst the rubble as if summoned by the God's rage.

" _He let them in!?"_

The fox thundered in a scary voice so loud Chihiro slapped hands over her ear. Kubi snorted, glaring back with her scathing silver eyes.

"Do you really think he meant for this to happen? Nigihayami sacrificed his life to save as many of us as he could."

Immediately Chihiro cut in furiously.

"You don't know that! Don't talk about him like he's already dead!"

Again Kubi dismissed the possibility with chilling certainty.

"When you've seen what I've seen hope seems like a waste of time."

Before Chihiro could shout back all kinds of nasty things Kenka wavered. Loosing his balance he slid down the wall to a rude seat. Jae went with him, struggling to keep his friend upright.

"S-shit! You okay, man?"

"No," Kenka breathed quietly.

The guy's face was gray beneath the frosted fringe of his short hair. He was struggling to breathe, clutching his chest as pain twisted his face. Chihiro broke by Suzume's arm, stumbling over the broken pieces of wood as she wheeled on Jae.

"What's wrong with him?"

Jae was seriously scared, so scared sweat was beaded on his upper lip and panic clouded his wide hazel eyes. Chihiro realized for the first time they were ringed in gray. Jae pointed a shaking finger at his chest like that explained everything.

"It's his heart… It j-just craps out on him when he's stressed an'… an' all this _fire_ an' _monsters_ an' _shit_ isn't good for his _fuckin'_ condition…"

He threw his hands at the ceiling in wild alarm. Chihiro grabbed Jae's face, turning it so he was looking her right in the eye while quietly appealing to him to be calm.

"I need you to tell me what to do."

"Uh… H-he's on all kinda meds but they're all back…"

Jae waved towards the house but got lost in his explanation. He started to shake as realization widened his eyes. They rounded on her in terror so strong it was infectious. Spinning on her side Chihiro turned to call for Suzume but he was already there. Jae slammed back against the wall leaning away as the God knelt in front of Kenka. The fox placed one of his burned hands on the human's chest. With a gasp Kenka's head jerked upright. He jolted like he'd been shocked. Gripping the God's wrist the human cringed against the wall, turning his face away with stark terror until Suzume smoothed his other hand over the human's brow.

"Breathe, child," he murmured quietly.

Blinking rapidly Kenka took a shallow shuddering breath.

"Again," the fox instructed as his eyes burned with concentration.

Overhead the foxfires dimmed. Trembling now as the room approached near dark, Kenka breathed deeply only to straighten in awe as the pain drained from his face. Blinking wide brown eyes the human stared at the fox in wonder. A frown pulled down the corners of the God's lips as again he studied Kenka. Something he saw there gave him pause and his hands lifted to the human's face tipping it up so he could better see whatever interested him. Standing slowly the fox lingered a hand on the human's brow.

"You have a kind heart. It pleases me to see it whole."

Turning away Suzume swept over to Keiichi leaving Kenka gaped after the God as if searching for something to say. At once Kiri's brother was cringing under his mirror making the fox growl in exasperation.

"Do not cower, Keiichi. It is unbecoming of a priest."

"S-sorry, sensei!"

The human emerged and shakily pushed his glasses up his nose still glancing uncertainly at the orbiting foxfires as if afraid they might swoop down on him.

"You have seen my family," Suzume inquired commandingly.

Keiichi held out his mirror as if desperate to be rid of if.

"Y-yes."

Hastily Suzume waved it away obviously not wanting it either.

"I am forbidden to look. What of Hayashimi? Did you see her with the others?"

Keiichi frowned only to shake his head.

"N-no, but I wasn't looking for her specifically."

The blue lights overhead snapped and pop in response to his disquiet. Climbing to her feet, Chihiro caution Tomoe back into the shadow with a meaningful glance at the humans. Coming up along side the fox she put a hand on his arm, making him glance back at her sharply.

"Will you look again for us," Chihiro appealed, "Please?"

Unhappily the priest nodded. Grimacing as if preparing for something really terrible he turned over the mirror in his hands, staring askance at the polished metal. Chihiro blinked as something moved like a fish swimming beneath the surface of water. Curiously she craned her neck trying to see what it was. At once Suzume's blackened hand covered her eyes he roughly spun her away.

"Do not look!" He hissed in her ear, "O-Sengen-sama would only be too happy to find some reason to punish you!"

Pulling away his hand she met his disapproving stare with an irritated moue.

"I'm not afraid of her."

Suzume softened as he collected her face into his hands.

"I believe you, child. That is why I implore you not to tempt her."

They both jumped as Keiichi threw down the mirror and fell on hands and knees bent by a weight of grief that terrified Chihiro. Again his eyes were wrenched shut as if he couldn't stand to open them. At once Kubi was crouching in her cage, craning her neck to see. Apparently she wasn't so sure there was no hope after all.

"What did he see?"

Suzume silenced her with a wave as he bore down on the priest.

"My wife!"

"S-she's with the spiders," Keiichi explained faintly as if surprised that he knew any of this, "They won't hurt her. They need her for some reason. That's why they came. Someone told them about Lin and K-Kiri."

Keiichi choked on his sister's name, bowing his head quietly. As Suzume fell quiet in utter confusion Chihiro cut in.

"Is Kiri okay?"

"No," Keiichi breathed the word with a shudder, "She miscarried."

There wasn't any time to absorb that. Chihiro hadn't known Kiri was pregnant to begin. Kneeling by the priest she urged him on, pressing for more information in spite of the fact that he was suffering.

"What about the others?"

The priest took a shuddering breath as words tumbled from him against his will.

"Nigihayami helped them escape… Then went back for Lin…"

Kubi snorted distantly, "Oh course he did."

Chihiro seized a piece of wood and threw it at the trapped God woman gritting her teeth against the urge to scream. She missed but at least Kubi shut up. Hope flared and died in Chihiro's heart so quickly she was left grinding her teeth. If the spiders caught Haku they'd kill him at sunrise for sure. She still had a deadline to keep.

"Where're the ones who got out?" Chihiro pressed as she turned back to Keiichi.

"I… I don't know I didn't look…"

The priest moaned quietly as she put the mirror back in his hands. It burned against her fingers like it had back during the summer festival. Unrelenting, she pushed him for more.

"Tell me where."

Leaning away from the circle of silver and holding it at arms length Keiichi cracked his eyes. At once they were drawn to the surface and he looked into the mirror as if compelled. After a moment so tense Chihiro found herself holding her breath he finally spoke.

"I see a little girl… She's drawing in a sketch book."

Chihiro closed her eyes as relief made her shake. Satako; they were with Satako.

" _Please take it away!"_ Keiichi pleaded, turning his head but still looking from the corners of his eyes, _"Don't make me look anymore! You don't know what it's like!"_

Chihiro yanked the mirror out of his hands and shoved it down the front of her yukata. The mirror seared against her naked skin but she ignored it. As the priest crumpled to the floor she was already hurrying for the kitchen. Ignoring the still blowing ash she jumped down and wadded through the broken bits of building, clambering back up onto the back porch.

Onsen kindled a tiny flame of light on the wick of a candle perched haphazardly in a lantern that had somehow survived the invasion. She tried not to be shocked by the damage inside. The dark interior was chocked with debris. Blue roof tiles were piled like tears on the slope of the second story floor. Gingerly she picked her way through sharp shards searching for a flash of red. But there was no telling a splintered roof rafter from a shattered door. There was no way to find what she needed without help. Lifting her face to the echoing above again she appealed to Onsen.

"I need to find the tile that was on the back of my door."

She jolted as something clattered, sliding down the ruined floor. Chihiro scrambled to catch the tiny bit of red, gold, and black.

"Can you make me a door?"

At once the rubble shifted, parting as a doorway tore itself out of the floor beneath. Slapping the tile onto the surface she yanked it open. Stupidly she stared through at the other side of the room. She opened and closed it three more times before she understood. Slamming it with a screech of rage she sunk onto her heels in the ruined kitchen. This wasn't a two way gate. She had the passive tile. The active tile was all the way back in Ueno. Someone had to set it there in order for the portal to open. Gritting her teeth and struggling not to cry she tried to think of something to do. She couldn't think of anything. All she could think about was the fact that there wasn't time for this!

"What are you doing, Chihiro?"

She squeaked in surprise, losing balance and sitting on something sharp. Jolting up she turned to see Kenka. Looking pale but otherwise okay he hesitated at the broken back slider peering inside uncertainly. Jae crowed him from behind looking back at the God wing with an unnerved expression. They both frowned at the displaced door creeping forward hesitantly as if afraid it might bite. As she stared back at them something clicked in her brain.

"Do either of you have a cell phone I could borrow?"

They blinked in unison and produced phones.

"Signal!" She choked on the word.

Their faces fell, clearly illuminated in the dark by the electric glow of the displays.

"What about a land line?" Kenka offered.

She stared at him like he was a genius before turning to the house.

"Is there a phone in here?"

"Who is she talking to, man?" Jae whispered to Kenka.

They both jolted in terror as again the rubble parted revealing a narrow path to a dusty wall phone installed by a shattered chair beside the old hearth. A timid fire collected in the battered recessed grate, lighting up the corner. Clambering over she picked up the receiver and wilted in relief as for once in the house's tenuous phone history the line actually had signal. Rounding on Haku's friends she blurted questions.

"You were at the restaurant right? Before Haku brought you here?"

"Y-yeah?" Kenka stammered, still staring askance at the fireplace.

She pulled the cord to its capacity in her haste to get it into someone's hands.

"I need you to call someone who can get to the restaurant right now."

Jae went grim as he glanced between her and his phone.

"It's like four in the fuckin' morning… No one we call will pick up."

She didn't want to know it was almost four.

There was less than two hours to sunrise.

The knowledge made her snap.

" _Weren't you listening!"_ Chihiro shouted mercilessly, "If we don't get to Uguisudani Station by sunrise _Haku could die!_ "

Jae threw up his hands and fled as the fire at her back flared and crackled huge, lighting up the whole shattered room. Done with being patient and gentle she grabbed at the air and pulled. Jae skated forward under the direction of invisible hands, skidding on his toes to the wall mounted before she forced phone lifted into his fingers. Stupid with terror he stood there staring at the rotary dial unsure of how to use it. Kenka sidled by to join Jae, demonstrating the antiquated dialing mechanism.

"Do it like this, see?"

Distantly Chihiro was impressed by how well the two of them were taking all of this. At the moment, however, she was doing her best not to burst into flames with impatience. As if afraid of exactly that Kenka kept glancing at her as he nervously flattened against the wall beside his friend.

"W-who you going t'call?" Jae asked shakily.

"Megumi."

"Meg!" Jae choked incredulously, "She won't answer! Try Fuu or Kanna, or… or… Shouta! Call Sho. He's right there anyway!"

Kenka cut him off, already dialing.

"Trust me, dude. Meg's way further into all of this than we are."

Seconds seemed to drag on until finally Jae took a shuddering breath and spoke.

"H-holy _shit_ , Meg! You will not believe w-what _t'fuck_ 's happenin'!" The wide-eyed chef hushed over the gentle crack of the fire, "H-how fast can you get to _Le Pichet_?"

Jae blinked and blinked and blinked some more as his face went blank.

"W-what t'hell d'you mean you're already there?"

Kenka jolted in surprise as Chihiro grabbed his arm. He cringed and recoiled from her touch. Hastily she let him go as smoke jumped from her fingers. The elbow of his marshmallow jacket smoldered and melted. She ignored the wide-eyed look on his face, once again peppering him with instructions.

"S-sorry! Um, tell whoever that is to go to the door you came by."

Jae already heard and was already relaying the message.

"Look, Meg, I know this sound fuckin' crazy but I need you to go out back."

Chihiro continued hurriedly.

"Tell her to look for a little piece of wood. It'll be the size of a wallet and painted red, gold, and black. Tell her to put it on a door and open it."

"Huh?" Jae blinked at her stupidly.

"Put it on a door! Any door! It doesn't matter!"

Before he could speak the tile on the prodigal door snapped into place.

They jumped as it swung inward.

Again the metallic stink of the city rolled across the threshold.

Creeping forward Chihiro stared beyond the frame.

Outside was the courtyard behind of Haku's apartment. A human woman in a peacock coat Chihiro'd never met before stood looking in at her. Holding her cell phone to her ear she stared through the door incredulously. Chihiro would've taken her for any other human if not for the fact that she held a tiny one-eyed goblin by the hand. The yokai hid behind her knees struggling to keep on his battered bowler hat. Megumi took timid steps forward until she stood in the middle of the threshold. Shuddering as if seized by a chill she leaned her head inside and glanced around. Jae stumbled from the phone the moment he saw her. He dragged her back into the courtyard on the other side. Kenka followed closely only to skirt around the goblin as the one-eyed creature tottered to the doorway. Saucily it stomped its clogged foot making demands in a tiny voice.

"Bozu helped pretty human now give Bozu back Kubi-san."

Ignoring him Chihiro hung on the frame and grabbed at Kenka.

"Do you have signal now?"

Wordlessly he nodded, holding out his phone. Before she could step across the threshold to take it hands yanked her off her feet. She was hauled backwards and physically lifted from the floor.

 _"Chihiro!"_

Kenka and Jae crowded the frame only to shrink from the sputtering foxfires that whizzed up and down through the echoing shaft of the smashed interior. Suzume knocked back into what was left of the kitchen sink. He held her closely, staring askance at the door as if it terrified him.

"If you go," The fox breathed desolately, "I will have no one left."

Chihiro craned her neck, glancing at Keiichi as he hovered on the back porch peering in at them as if afraid of coming inside. At once the human scrambled aside as Tomoe ghosted through the broken slider. The black shadow held something in his hand. Baffled, Chihiro blinked, following the leash back to a silent obedient Kubi. Around her neck was a heavy collar that vibrated with strange magic that made Chihiro uncomfortable. Suzume seemed similarly disturbed by the shackle.

"Spirit," the fox muttered quietly, "You are full of surprises."

" _Kubi-san!"_ The yokai squealed tearfully.

He hopped from one foot to the other for a nervous second before throwing himself across the threshold. Clambering through the rubble the creature threw himself at her knees, hugging her tightly. Chihiro frowned angrily as Kubi didn't so much as pat him on the head. She ignored him, remaining utterly motionless. It was then Chihiro realized Kubi was gritting her teeth. Bozu reached up at her the way kids did when demanding to be picked up. As he did Kubi's cold eyes melted, brimming with barely restrained tears as she stared from the corner of her eyes at the yokai. She blinked and loosed a shuddering breath as tears slid down her cheeks. Still as stone she stood there.

" _You may pick him up,"_ Tomoe instructed.

Immediately Kubi scooped up the goblin, holding him close as relief poured across her face. Finally Chihiro understood as her insides scrambled in shock.

"Take that off!" She demanded, scrambling in Suzume's grip, "Take the collar off now!"

" _No._ "

The ghost refused without hesitation.

" _This one is known to me. Too much fault lies at her feet. I will not see her betray us for the sake of her own."_

Chihiro chewed on angry words as the ghost led his charge to the other side.

"Put me down, Suzume!"

Obviously reluctant the fox obeyed and withdrew. As she turned to reassure him her mouth fell open. He'd found one of the kitchen knives. Grasping his hair at the nape Suzume severed the length in a single cut. The knife flashed, reflecting some distant light. Chihiro jolted as something like an electric shock snapped between them. It severed, abruptly fading leaving her feeling a terrible sense of loss. The white locks fell from his fingers as he shrugged out of his finery. His fantastic robe pooled at his feet, gone like melting snow. The fox renounced more than vanity in that moment. She watched in horror as he cut his ties to Izu. Suzume dropped the knife, falling to his knees her feet. Chihiro fell with him, grabbing his arms as he fell. With a shuddering breath he opened his eyes and stared overhead. His gold eyes flickered resolutely as Onsen clambered with shock.

"No more will I be left behind," The God breathed, "Where you go so too shall I."


	47. Chapter 47

**CHIHIRO**

Chihiro stared at Suzume. She gripped his arms so tightly her knuckles popped. She couldn't believe what he'd done. Neither could the house. Onsen's guttered from the corner hearth, plunging the ruined kitchen into gloom as she shuddered violently. More blue roof tiles and debris poured from the gaping hole above as the house's horror stirred in the dark ruins until the room crawled with restless anxious movement. As if he couldn't stand to be here a moment more Suzume lurched to his feet. He was gone in a blink. Sitting back Chihiro threw her eyes around the kitchen only to find him gone.

"We… uh," Chihiro choked, "We'll be back, okay?"

It was the stupidest thing she probably could've said.

But she didn't know what else to say.

What could she say?

Before the house could pitch a bigger fit Chihiro followed the fox across impossible distances back into the heart of Tokyo. She gasped as the world dimmed and dissolved. Magic surged across her skin like she'd been doused with a bucket of water. Every hair on her arms stood on end as Chihiro stepped over the threshold and slipped on icy stones. She blinked and shuddered in the pitch dark only to look up through the white cloud of her breath at the distant Tokyo skyline.

It was totally surreal.

I almost didn't feel real.

But then again magic never did.

Her stomach constricted with sickening dread as she realized that the city lights were solely responsible for the warming in the east. Ahead of her Suzume was standing at the top of the stone stairs. A single tremulous foxfire sputtered over him illuminating his face as he looked out over the vista with a blank expression.

"Suzume!"

Chihiro reached for him, coming forward with wooden jerky movements only to have the fox look back at her and transform as he turned. She came up short and blinked and blinked some more because he was wearing pants! Suzume was wearing pants a button up shirt! Beneath the ragged fringe of his now short hair the fox's face tightened with irritation as he absorbed her dumbstruck stare.

"Do you think me so helpless, then?" he muttered quietly, "I have lived among humans my entire life. Your ways are not unknown to me."

Wheeling away from his blistering mood Chihiro turned to Jae, Kenka, and Megumi only to find them clustered around the doorway gaping in silent disbelief. It was actually leaning against the broken remnant of a wall. Looking overhead she found the restaurant was destroyed. Haku's apartment was a hole in the second story. Chihiro looked away hastily trying not to choke on panic as she pushed her way between the humans. The primary bath tile gleamed in the dark at the back of the disembodied door. Hastily she snatched it up, shoving it into her yukata. She pointed her finger right in Keiichi's face as he peered through from the other side, forcing him back before she pointed at the secondary tile.

"Make sure this stays right where it is!"

At once he shrank back into the kitchen sputtering indignantly. Chihiro slammed the door in his face. It tipped over and crashed to the ground. Whirling, she held out her hands demandingly.

"Phone!"

The humans stared at her stupidly. Chihiro had no patience left. She had no time left. She was about to stomp her foot and get scary when Tomoe beat her to it. Collecting out of the shadows to her right the ghost gave the humans a major scare. With gasps the other humans fled from the phantom as he led Kubi by her tether. She was still holding the little one-eyed goblin. From the look of it she probably wouldn't put him down until told otherwise.

"Ha- _ha!_ " Another voice called triumphantly from the dark, _"Demons be gone!"_

Again Chihiro jumped as something sprang out at them. Whatever it was tossed a handful of something at Tomoe. It scattered on the stones, knocking off her toes and making her jerk backwards only to slip. She would've fallen if Suzume hadn't caught her; hoisting her like a bag of rice as the whole courtyard lit up with snapping foxfires. Chihiro blinked down at the adzuki beans as they bounced off harmlessly only to scattered at Suzume's bare feet.

"Beans?" The fox scoffed as if insulted, "You throw _beans!?_ "

The yokai blinked up at the fox as if stunned by his plan's failure. The creatures red eyes magnified comically behind his coke-bottle spectacles. He was a tiny blue skinned goblin with a tattered vest, baggy twill short, and copper kettle. Immediately he was trembling, clutching his kettle and making it rattle loudly belying its beany contents.

"Be gone, goblin!" Suzume barked furiously.

At once the yokai fled, rattling back into the dark.

"Oi!" the one-eyed goblin scolded, "No scare stupid old Bean!"

Suzume glared the little being into hiding beneath his bowler hat.

"Bozu thinks fox-man is mean," the creature whispered, "Mean, mean, mean!"

" _Sen, we must hurry,"_ Tomoe pointed at the lightening sky.

Like she needed a reminder! Again she turned to the humans for help. They were knotted together behind a cast iron table covered in beer cans.

"Which way to Uguisudani Station!"

"Bozu knows the way!"

The one-eyed yokai slipped out of Kubi's arms. His clogs hit the ground with a loud clack, leading the way for them with the sharp rap of his shoes as he all but dissolved into the dark.

"Put me down, Suzume."

The fox ignored her, holding her tightly even as she struggled.

"I said put me down He's getting away!"

Suzume ignored her command staring after the yokai as if uncertain. Finally he put her down but not because she told him to. He strode after Bozu and dragged her behind him. Tomoe followed in their shadow leading Kubi by her leash. Silently their eyes met in the dark as they were both compelled forward against their will.

"C-Chihiro!"

When Kenka called after her Chihiro couldn't stop.

"Call Shouta," Chihiro shouted back, "He's got my card. There's a number on there for Lydia. She'll get you to Satako."

As Kenka began to chase Chihiro threw back words that brought him up short.

"No! Stay with them! Get out of here!"

Chihiro's insides sang with dismay as Kenka faded from sight, swallowed in the dark as the foxfires guttered into nothing. Turning back to Suzume Chihiro resisted. She could barely keep up with him he was going so fast. He scooped her up as she stepped on something sharp and stumbled. Utterly exasperated she twisted, kicked, flailed; anything to make him put her down.

"I don't want to be carried! Just stop a second, will you!"

Without so much as slowing he made her realize how useless it was to struggle.

"No," Suzume refused quietly, "I am no longer compelled to obey."

Cold shock poured over her like the swift wind streaming through her hair and clothes. Chihiro fell to stillness as she forgot everything she was about to say. Finally it all sunk in. In that moment she realized he hadn't just cut his ties to Izu; he'd renounced his vow entirely! She couldn't even begin to think about what that meant! Before she could try buzzing electric lights blinked on over their head. Suzume flinched from them but didn't slow. They were moving much faster now and the trees and buildings in the park blurred by so quickly she hardly saw them. They lurched to a stop so quickly beneath track overpass it took a second for sound to catch up with them. Chihiro gasped, seizing Suzume around the neck as a train roared by overhead in a dinging clickity hiss and scaring her stupid. Flinching beneath the roar of steel wheels and the tenuous crack of cables, Chihiro peered through the scuttling trash and milling crowds of people to the clotted courtyard ahead of them. Suzume put her down but kept her wrist. Together they stared at the green and white lights glowing over a dull unassuming building that announced itself as Uguisudani Station.

As the train passed by Chihiro heard the bell in her heart hum with distant warning. Slowly the burn on her thigh seized with cold. Chihiro resisted as Suzume took a step forward. The fox's luminous gold eyes flashed back to her as she pulled with all her might to get him to wait.

"Something's not right." She cautioned.

He fought with his hair and frowned tightly.

"Explain."

As always with Suzume it was a demand not a question. She ignored the urge to be lippy as premonition pushed down on her with unnerving force. Chihiro stared at the caustic white lights, shrinking from the crowds of school girls gathering in squealing knots only to make their way inside.

"I… I don't know."

She jumped again, throwing herself into Suzume as Tomoe put Kubi's leash in her hand. Somehow she'd completely forgotten the ghost and God-woman were there.

" _Hold this. I will see if it is safe."_

Before any of them could protest he slipped into the crowd fading away into nothing. Silently Chihiro followed his progress by the line of shivering confused humans he left in his wake. As the second ticked by and the sky overhead continued to warm the intensity of the fox's grip increased until Chihiro flinched.

"Suzume," She whispered, "You're hurting me."

At once his hand disappeared.

"I am sorry, child," he murmured hoarsely.

"It's okay."

She flexed her wrist and worked out the twinge. Glancing at Kubi Chihiro found the God-woman staring at the station with an inscrutable expression of unnerved disgust.

"Do you know why this place is so creepy?"

Kubi replied so automatically Chihiro blinked.

"It's the entrance to the spider nest."

Suzume frowned at her.

"Do you know the way in?"

As she remained silent Chihiro repeated the question.

"How do we get in?"

Again the collar compelled Kubi to answer.

"Just follow the stink of death, idiot."

Kubi spat mercilessly all the while glaring from the corners of her colorless eyes. Chihiro opened her mouth to bitch out the God-woman only to forget her as Tomoe faded into sight parting a way through the oblivious crowds passing them by.

 _"There was a spider posted guard."_ The ghost explained quickly.

Suzume arched an eyebrow, "Was?"

"Did she see you!" Chihiro stammered in a panicked hush.

Tomoe put a hand to his mouth and loosed a quiet belch.

" _No. I ate her before she could."_

They shrank from him in horror, except for Kubi. Chihiro tried not to take satisfaction in the fact that the God-woman's eyes went perfectly round as she returned the leash to the ghost's dainty hand. Suzume took her elbow in that moment. He abruptly directed them into the thickening crowds. It was a Tuesday morning and swiftly approaching rush hour. The streets were beginning to teem with business men and woman muffled and coated against the biting cold Chihiro barely felt.

Fear robbed her senses of sharpness as they filed toward the train station. No one so much as looked at them as they shuffled inside. At once pressed between strangers Chihiro tried not to panic. Suzume sniffed the air audibly before directing them down an echoing corridor. How he could smell anything over the reek of bad cologne and concrete was anyone's guess. Again they took an abrupt turn leaving the tributary of bodies behind. The hall ahead was curtained in plastic. All the same Chihiro's heart rang so loudly as the sight she flinched as they pushed past signs warning about construction and keeping out because of falling dangerous stuff.

An old musty stink was blowing beneath the transparent sheets.

It made her insides crawl with unnatural revulsion.

Kubi was right. It did smell like old death.

"Stay with Chihiro, spirit," Suzume instructed as he let go of her arm, "I charge you to keep her safe."

She laughed at him, short and humorless.

"I'm coming with you."

Turning on her Suzume bared his teeth furiously as he growled low in his throat as the fox in him emerged. His tail bristled visible as his features sharpened. The sight would've reduced anyone else to terrified sobs. But not her; she'd seen much scarier things that an angry fox God.

"I will not risk you!"

Crossing her arms she snorted.

"Then you should've left me behind. I'm going to follow you even if you don't want me to. Tomoe won't stop me."

" _She is correct, Suzume-sama."_ The ghost added quietly, _"I will not."_

Glancing at him the fox sputtered furiously .

"I don't want you to go alone," Chihiro cut in forcefully, staring up at him resolutely, "Where you go I go, remember?"

His face went blank and he stared at her with wide frightened eyes. Reaching out, Chihiro took his cold hand and laced her fingers through his. She forced a tremulous smile. Such a conflicted expression drew his face into lines as she squeezed his palm. Without another word Suzume turned and pulled her through the swiftly darkening corridor. Soon she couldn't see an inch in front of her face and she clung to his arm in the crushing terrifying dark. A tiny foxfire kindled over their heads, revealing a doorway that produced a plunging set of stairs. Down, down, down, and down some more. Chihiro's legs were shaking by the time they reached the bottom. With each step fear and premonition weighed on her shoulders heavier and heavier until it felt like she might fall over.

They came up short at a dirty bridge of silk.

The foxfire intensified, illuminating the hollow eyes of the ancient subway car rusting away on the waterlogged recessed tracks. On the opposite platform was an entrance of some kind. Gritting her teeth she pressed her hand against the scar on her leg as it ached because the frosty spike of magic breathed across the threshold. The bell in her heart hummed as she saw the torii gate carved and chipped into the stone and her stomach seized with elated terror.

It was an entrance to the Spirit World.

Suzume steadied her as they inched out onto the suspension bridge. Her skin crawled in revulsion as she discovered the springy filaments were still slightly sticky. She had to peel her bare feet from the surface with every step. She hurried forward onto the opposite stones and hurriedly scuffed the soles of her feet free of lingering cobwebs.

" _I… I cannot cross,"_ The ghost breathed in a panic.

Chihiro looked back at him sharply to find him hovering halfway across the bridge. He looked so much like Kaonashi in that moment her heart squeezed. At once she dropped Suzume's hand and was back across the bridge reaching for Tomoe.

"It's okay. Here I'll help you."

" _No,"_ the ghost shook his head, _"This is not an open gate. I am uninvited by those who dwell here. Much like the bridge at Yubaba's Bath House prevented Kaonashi from crossing there are wards here that deny us because of what we are."_

Tomoe's face was a perfect mask of apprehension as he held out Kubi's leash.

" _Take this one. I must remain."_

Reluctantly she took the lead.

"We'll come back."

" _Be careful, Lady Sen."_

Kubi followed her across even as her eyes screamed in protest.

Chihiro didn't look after that. She didn't want to see.

Taking Suzume's hand they crossed under the torii gate into another world. Chihiro shuddered violently as again a frigid frost of magic surged over her skin, biting and nipping in the tips of her fingers and the heels of her feet. She could feel the magic gathering inside her chest, seeping up her spine as it percolated through her blood and pulsed inside her eyes. The foxfire ahead of them flickered and fluttered as a dank breeze blew through the echoing tunnel. Her heart soared for a moment as it smelled strongly of water. But then it sank, growing heavy with fear once more as she heard the distant familiar roar of falling water. Water; not rain. Chihiro shrank against Suzume as she eyed the empty niches lining the corridor. They were hollowed out into nook that begged to be filled with something, guards probably. These were empty.

"Um," Chihiro whispered, "Shouldn't someone be, you know, guarding the gate?"

"Shhh," Suzume cautioned silence he paced ahead of her.

At once he came up short at a fork in the tunnel.

Snuffling the air from both directions the fox looked confused.

"They smell exactly the same," he admitted reluctantly.

Chihiro turned to Kubi.

"Which way?"

The God-woman looked utterly terrified. Her silver eyes kept flashing overhead as if she was afraid something might drop down on them at any moment. At once she rounded on her with a grim expression.

"How t'fuck should I know?" Kubi spat in a low voice, "I've never been down here before."

Suzume caught up her leash, yanking her close as he bore down on her with quiet wrath.

"Why then did you not say something earlier!"

Kubi bared her blackened teeth in a sneer.

"I can't talk unless you ask me something, idiot."

They shrank from one of the tunnels as female voices echoed.

"Did you find them!"

"No. I looked all over the lower caverns!"

Keeping Kubi's leash Suzume had Chihiro's arm again yanking her down the opposite tunnel only to have it fork. The scuttling hiss of feet washed over their backs sending shudders up Chihiro's spine as the terrible sound forced them onward into a labyrinth of winding tunnels. They came around a corner only to recoil as Suzume balked. His foxfire snuffed out as he snatched her up. As darkness plunged around them he retreated in the opposite direction as a stunned voice gasped close enough to make Chihiro's insides jolt with raw panic.

"Did you see that? I saw a light!"

"I smell fire!" Another declared in shock.

Wrenching her eyes shut Chihiro clung to the fox as they roved through the pitch black in seemingly blind loops as shouts of alarm thundered from all sides.

 _"There's been a breech!"_ A spider shrieked, _"Breech!"_

Chihiro screamed as they collided with something that turned out to be someone. That someone hissed as Suzume yelped in alarm. He dropped her as foxfires erupted around them, flooding the tunnel with light. Scrambling off to the side Chihiro caught a glimpse of the spider woman. She recoiled in terror from the fires, shielding her eyes in her kimono sleeves. She wasn't at all like the grotesque black shelled demons that attacked Onsen.

 _"Here!"_ The spider screamed in terror, _"They're here!"_

As Suzume yanked Chihiro up off the floor. She watched a horde of glittering red eyes fill the distant tunnel behind the cowering spider. Black casings glinted in the firelight as the first lance of silk came hissing down the corridor. Suzume threw himself at Kubi as she stood motionless in the middle of the passage. They crashed against the opposite side as the spear sailed by barely missing them by inches. Numbly Chihiro followed the projectiles flight only to find more eyes clotting the other end of the tunnel. At once the air erupted with whizzing foxfires. The crackling sparks snapped up the arrows of silk like swallows catching flies. But there were more and more lances.

"Chihiro!" Suzume shouted, reaching for her only to recoil.

The stone wall over his head shattered. She cringed under her arms as they were pelted with sharp stone fragments. At once her chest was burning, but not with fire. Something against her bare flesh was freezing to the point of agony! She clawed at the front of her yukata even as Suzume reached her again. Reaching inside she ripped out Keiichi's mirror. It'd warmed against her skin and she'd completely forgotten about it. A lance struck it from her fingers, ringing it like a bell as it clattered to the floor. Spinning and whirling; it flashed blindingly before it fell over and fractured. Chihiro screamed as salt water spurted violently through the crack. At once she was soaked and the foxfires snuffed in fizzing pops. Dark invaded as more and more cracks rittled the surface. Then it shattered and a deluge poured through. Chihiro was flattened to the ground as the roaring wave engulfed her. It peeled her up as it flooded forward, dragging her into the dark.

* * *

 **HAKU**

Haku set Okesa down the moment his feet found stone. Hurriedly stowing his umbrella he crept to the edge of the jagged hole. Peering down into the cavern his skin crawled at the sight of the spider. It was the queen. He recognized her even in her human guise.

" _Go!"_ She thundered, _"Find them!"_

A smaller spider fled and Haku gritted his teeth against the unnerving scuttling sound of her feet steps. Peering down at Lin he scrutinized her with the help of the glasses and found her whole and well. All was not well, however, with Kiri. The spider cradled her closely as if she was a precious thing. Haku's chest squeezed with fear at the sight of the blood staining her robes. At once he recoiled from the lip of stone as a hideous snuffling sound echoed from below.

"I smell rain," Bah-Fuh announced slowly.

"You're smelling the waterfalls, old bat!" The spider queen replied tetchily.

" _Rain_ , Shurui," the bat pressed cryptically, "Not water."

Okesa jolted at the name. Haku tried to wave her off but already she was at the edge beside him. The stone lip cracked and jolted before lurching forward. Throw forward, Haku spun and blew a violent wind right in Okesa's face. It plucked her from the ground and threw her back over the lip even as it shot him over the edge, spilling him into the cavern below, already putting a wind beneath his feet as he landed lightly in spite of the height.

"Dragon! I have seen you, Dragon!"

Bah-Fuh cackled triumphantly. She scrambled up and down the opposite wall shrieking with mad laughter and giving Haku a terrible fright. He had not expected to find her here. Recoiling from the memories of the horror he had experienced in Shitamachi he called on his mask and armor. Hanoane flashed and though she could not see it the bat silenced with a squeal as if tasting the deadly promise of the silver blade. At once the spider's face contracted with disgust. She put a hand to her face as if sickened.

"Even still you reek of spider blood!"

Haku froze as the spider queen put Kiri down. Furtively he glanced to Lin as she crept forward to catch hold of the human. He was so relieved to see her alive. Awe hit him for a moment as he realized she was pregnant; _extremely_ pregnant. Dragging her upright, inching toward the door, Lin stared at him helplessly. Briefly he caught a glimpse of rosy pink light at the doorway and his heart squeeze in shock. Chouchin! Chouchin had found her way around somehow. Silently he urged her to go, looking at the lantern as if he could explain she was a friend. There was no time for anything else. Lin's dark eyes were huge in the red light as she slipped out of sight. Before Shurui could discover they were missing Haku held up his blade as he had to Sengen and bowed.

"I beseech mercy, Mistress of this House. I come only for my family."

His knees trembled even if his voice did not. The spider stared at him as if not sure what to think.

"What of my family, Dragon?" She pronounced quietly, "You seem content to let Shitamachi's dogs tear them limb from limb. Why should I show you the mercy you showed their captain but denied my sisters?"

Haku cringed from her accusations. There was nothing he could do to deny them. He reviled spiders; even now just looking at her turned his stomach. Shurui saw this plainly and straightened, towering over him as if growing taller.

"I owe you nothing, Dragon," she intoned quietly, "Not even mercy."

Terror poured through him at the deadly calm in her voice. He found the watch that was not a watch in the nick of time. He clicked the button as with all six of her hands the spider hurled shards of silk. Unfortunately things did not go as he expected. Time did not stop as it did in the human world. But then again this was not the human world. Instead time slowed. Not as much as he would have liked; but just barely enough to not be killed He vaulted over the first lance. Hurriedly he ducked under the next. Throwing himself forward into a spin he barely danced between the next two. With a stab of panic Haku realized time was quickening. Throwing himself forward onto his knees he bent backward. Flattened to the floor the fifth sailed over his head only to score his chest plate. Righting himself Haku threw up Hanoane, bracing the haft in his hand. He struck out with wind and might splitting the last lance in two.

Time slipped through his fingers as the splinters glanced aside. Haku propelled himself to his feet, springing forward on a tight coil of air. He ducked inside the range of her arms only to knock them aside. The point of his blade touched the hollow of her throat. He could have killed her in that moment. He could have struck her head from her shoulders just as he had Jouma. But Haku could not. Not again. His whole body shook with horror as time returned without pity. The stones obliterated behind him, pelting them with dust and pebbles. Stunned by his sudden appearance inside her range the Shurui jerked.

" _I do not want to kill you!"_ Haku choked in desperation

She stared at him with a conflicted expression as if confused by his refusal.

"This is war, Dragon. Those who refuse to fight will die."

Bells rang in his ears, harsh and commanding. Haku's arm jerked away from her throat as if it had a mind of its own. Two fans flashed in her hands; back and forth; red and gold; silver and red. Dazzled and blinded he moved against his own will. The bells sang inside his head, driving his body to betray him. Inverting the blade Haku turned the point to his chest plate. Before he could drive the blade into his heart something struck it aside. In a whirl of black Okesa stepped in front of him. Wearing her wicked wide-eyed cat mask the music of her voluptuous movements drowned the spider's bells. All he could see was the cat as she bent and flirted in flashes of color so brilliant it made the world pale in comparison. She called him to her, forcing him to dance beside her. Gladly he followed, forgetting what he had been commanded to do with the blade though it remained firmly clenched in his hand.

"Y'do owe 'im plenty, Shurui," Okesa rasped, " _He killed Jouma!_ "

The cat threw up her fans, standing poised in perfect stillness as Haku fell at her feet gasping for breathe and trembling with exertion. Shurui's blood red eyes burned with distant memories as they stared at the fans.

"Those are mine."

Slowly she looked down at Okesa with a sad strange expression. As she did the cat pushed up her mask letting the spider see her face.

"I remember you now, little kitten," Shurui continue quietly, "What happened with Jouma was 300 years ago by human count. Why would that matter to me now?"

In a blur of movement Shurui producing two more fans from her obi. Lacquered completely black they flashed like wet spider shells. Haku cried aloud in agony as at once the spider's hex reclaimed him. The iron bells rang like claws scratching against the inside of his skull. Then the bells forced him to his feet.

They made him slash Hanoane at Okesa even as he fought to resist. Light on her feet she slapped the blade aside with a closed fan, redirecting him with the other and snatching him back from the spider's control if only for a moment. Directing him faster than he could have managed himself, Okesa used him to cut down the points of silk Shurui hurled with her free hands. Then the bells were ringing in his ears again and the cat struggled to fight him off. Haku realized in that moment Shurui was a much better dancer than Okesa. Was such a thing even possible?

His insides sang with dismay as the complex rhythms woven between the bells dangling from spiders four hands drowned and diluted the cat's two part percussion. Haku swung again; too close, far too close. He forced the cat to whirl and his heart flew into his throat contracting with misery as she gasped, recoiling as the tip of the blade sliced through her sleeve. As she stumbled his hand darted out at Shurui's direction. Fleet and agile, he snatched one of the fans from the cat's fingers. Through his hands Shurui claimed it for herself, dancing him against her with both blade and bells.

Despairing with every breath he took Haku fought to still himself. He fought to break free of death's dance. But the music; the terrible clamorous bells rang in his very blood. There was no room for his wants and will. The bells owned his body as the collar once had.

" _Go!"_ He cried aloud, _"Get away from me!"_

Okesa struggled to recover but tripped lost her footing. Her rhythm broke as he cut at her again. She dove to avoid the sharp edge, sprawling at his feet. The cat lost her grip on her last fan and scrambled to catch it only to fail. Haku flicked the fan towards the ceiling at Shurui's command, summoning Okesa from the ground. Helplessly she jerked to her feet standing in front of him completely exposed. Behind her mask terror reflected clearly in her wide-eyes as she realized there was nothing she could do.

Their eyes met if only for a moment. She saw there was nothing he could do either. At once she was calm. Never had seeing someone accept their own fate brought him such pain. Opening her arms as if welcoming him, Okesa cringed even as he lunged. All the while Haku was screaming but strangely he could not hear himself. His cry was swallowed as a thunderous wave smashed them to the ground.


	48. Chapter 48

**CHIHIRO**

Not for the first time Chihiro was surprised that she wasn't drowning.

The gurgling rushing torrent forced her through the twisting pipes of the tunnels. For some reason the water peeled back from her face and shoulders and she gasped the dark misty air. It was pitch black as she was propelled forward like a cork at the crest of a wave. She eddied dizzyingly; deafened by the babbling gushing roar; grazed and knocked about. She jerked around a corner only to glance off of something solid. As crippling panic forced its way through initial shock, close to popping her tenuous hold on calm, frozen hands found hers. The water didn't slow but she stabilized, no longer in danger of being peeled by rushing stone. Even if she couldn't see him she heard him over the bass roar of the surging wave.

 _M'sorry, boss, didn't mean t'be so rough._

He answered her thoughts as she choked and sputtered on black splashes.

 _Obasama came to the cliffs... I got here as quick as I could…_

Hidé voice echoed inside her head in a strange rippling rush as the grip of his hands became less solid.

 _I can't stay… M'not supposed t'be here…_

His harried voice echoed in her ears like the ebbing hiss of the surf.

 _M'sorry... All I can do is give you this water... It'll serve you as it serves me…_

Then his grip dissolved like a bit of foam.

Panic threatened to founder her as she was left to direct the water by herself. Luckily it seemed to know where it was going. In some kind of crazy water park finale she jetted out of the tunnel into a cavern riding the peak of the massive wave that slowly dwindled and eroded as it spread through a cavernous room. Her knees folded as her feet touched down. Ducked beneath the surface she tumbled and rolled in the persisting current until the salty water broke over her head, trickling around her waist as it turned to a vast inch deep puddle against her shins.

Sputtering and blinking she stared mutely at the mirror. Somehow it was still in her hands. Hastily she stowed it in the sodden sleeve of her yukata. Looking around she didn't see Suzume or Kubi. Before she could even stand something exploded in the water beside her. Chihiro gasped and threw up her hands as magic surged on the edge of instinct. The water bounced off of her harmlessly. It recoiled, slapping down the bomb of silk as it did. Bits of white filament dissolved in hissing clumps around her ankles.

"Human," the spider pronounced coldly from somewhere overhead, "You are not what I expected."

With her heart thundering in her ears Chihiro slapped aside shards of silk with jets of salt water as they that came whistling out of the gloom. Barely, just barely she warded them off, knocked back into the shallows as the stinging recoil drove her to her knees.

"Where is he!" Chihiro shouted as she struggled upright.

The God's voice echoed sourcelessly as she answered a question with a question.

"Where is Kubi?"

This time Chihiro didn't fall for the trick. Wiping water from her face she scanned the ceiling. Eerie red lights blazed and scrambled in the globes of the swinging chandelier overhead, illuminating in shifting shadows the jagged stone teeth dripping from above. There was no way to know where the spider was in this light and so Chihiro made her own. Taking a stirring breath she stoked the embers in her gut with angry memories. Immediately steam rose from her skin and clothes in a fizzling cloud as magic surged beneath her skin. Stamping her feet in the shallows Chihiro sent the water retreating. Arrows of hardened thread sang through the air; but she expected that. Blowing an enormous plume of fire between her lips she reduced them to a rain of smoldering ash. The shifting shadows dissolved as the cavern lit up for a brief moment. There! Chihiro saw the spider woman as she scrambled to hide. That wasn't the only thing she saw as again she lit up the dark by calling the fire into her clenched fists.

Across the cavern someone stood out of the water.

The sound of his voice made her forget everything.

" _Chihiro!"_

As she whirled toward Haku the water between them erupted into violent spray, dousing her fire and plunging the room back into shifting gloom. Throwing herself into the shallows she pulled the water over her head. Shards of silk rained from above, plunging through the liquid in bubbling streaks and eventually dissolving into milky sprays. As she lay there submerged Chihiro learned something very important: she could not breathe underwater without Hidé's help. Coughing and choking, Chihiro dropped her grip on the water and broke through the surface gasping for air.

She shrieked as the water shattered around her in another attack from above. Chihiro cringed back into the shallows as fire plumed on the opposite side of the cavern. Not foxfire but something else. In a persistent curtain flaming arrows interrupted the spider's barrage. Then the bells rang. Loud and terrible they echoed off the cavern walls exuding a pressure that made Chihiro physically ill. Haku's shout despair dragged her up back to her feet where she watched uncomprehending as the volley of arrows redirected to fall on her instead.

He was shooting at her! Why was he shooting at her!

Stumbling forward she broke into a run, splashing through the shallows. The first arrows passed her over, plunging into the water with hissing thwacks. Panic sent her heart squeezing up into her throat at the sound. More and more sliced through the air. No longer on fire they aimed at her with deadly accuracy as the bells continued to ring overhead. She ducked and wove only to gasp as one caught her sleeve. The arrow was flying so fast it ripped her off balance and sent her crashing to the ground.

She heard Haku's tortured scream just as she submerged, calling the water over her head in a futile attempt to protect herself. It crushed her to the stones as it rushed to gather above her. Still, she compelled more and more of the liquid to ebb back at her call. As her lungs began to burn and the pressure squeezed her head painfully she willed the water forward, pushing, forcing the physical presence of the element to respond. Chihiro gasped a lung full of air as the wave rolled by leaving her dripping and exposed on the stone floor. Stunned by the size of it she watched as the peak teetered until it crashed down in a massive curl.

It looked like blood in the strange light, roaring across the cavern in a red roaring tide that drowned the sound of the bells, making the room shake as it slammed against the opposite wall. The wave splashed up into the ceiling, crashing and jetting among the distant stalactites only to fall over her in a harmless rain. What little of the wave that remained lost momentum and ebbed. The hissing boiling tide rolled back at her, thinning as it spread across the stone floor to wash around her ankles in a harmless foaming surge.

Again she was moving, forcing her aching body onward. Through the blinding spray she headed for what the wave washed back. Already she knew it was him. She fell into the endless puddle; hauled him over; yanked the mask from his face only to have him cough up a mouthful of water. Shoving him onto his side, Chihiro thumped him on the back until he gasped and cringed from her hands. Dragging him against her knees she held him making soothing noises as he choked and struggled.

"It's okay," she hushed as much for him as for herself, "Breathe, okay?"

His hands tightened on her arm as if noticing for the first time there were there. Slowly he turned, looking up at her from under the tangled fringe of his wet hair. The red light robbed his wide eyes of color as he stared. He whispered so quietly she barely heard him.

"Do I dream, Chihiro?"

At once he was shaking violently staring at her like she wasn't real. His handsome face, haggard and hollow with suffering, was completely blank. His trembling hand reached to touch her face only to hesitate as if terrified of what it might find. Chihiro's heart constricted inside her chest, seizing so painfully it closed her throat against anything she could've thought to say. Tears burned their way down her cheeks because it hurt to see him so devoid of hope.

"We're not dreaming, Haku," Chihiro hushed, "We're awake."

At her words his round adoring eyes glimmered with inner light as awe washed through him. Finally his frozen hands lifted to her face; gently, so very gently. His palms warmed against her skin as slowly he drew her toward him. They both jolted, splashing in the water as a shrill voice screeched distantly. At once Chihiro was crouched over him like a coiled spring ready to fight.

" _This way, Shurui!"_ A bat clambered around a hole in the cavern ceiling, _"This way!"_

Clambering out of the deepest water at the opposite wall the spider hesitated on the lip of the outlet, staring back at them with burning red eyes. Loosing a vicious hiss Cinna stepped in front of them protectively. The scruffy cat flicked her bristled tail and flattened her wet ears.

In one hand she held Lin's sword.

In the other she lifted a black lacquered fan.

Chihiro cringed as its iron bell flashed, loosing a single terrible ring. Shurui fled before it could reach her, disappearing out into the dark. But the black seemed to glare out of that hole even after she disappeared. With disquiet scrambling between her shoulder blades Chihiro pulled on Haku glancing again and again at the place where Shurui disappeared.

"We need to go. We need to go now."

Haku tried to stand only to collapse.

"Apologies, dear one," Haku breathed, "I fear I cannot stand."

Shoving the fan into her obi Cinna paused to make a distasteful moue as she shook her wet hands and feet. Chihiro jerked back as the cat shoved her way between them, returning the sword to the scabbard at Haku's side and it faded immediately. Unconcerned as his armor faded as well, the cat stowed his dragon mask down the front of his green kimono. Weakly Haku seized her sleeve as she leaned over him. He never could hide what he was feelings, looking up at her with a tortured expression of anguish. Baffled and displaced, Chihiro frowned as she looked in on their private moment. Cinna rubbed her face against the crown of his head purring so loudly Chihiro felt her chest vibrate. Saucily the cat threw up her arm and wiggled a finger through a hole in the side of her garment as if it explained everything.

"See? No holes so no worries, neh?"

Cinna was already slinging his arm over her shoulder as if well practiced at it.

"Aye gotcha, kitten. One, two, three!"

As the cat hoisted him upright immediately he went gray in the face. Chihiro grabbed his other arm, fitting herself under his shoulder. There was no way they were getting him out of here on foot like this. He barely had the strength to stay conscious. Chihiro went cold as she marveled at the fact that he was still alive. He'd been hit by a car; attacked by spiders; then she very nearly drowned him; and all in one evening.

"Apologies," he murmured faintly, making her heart tightened again.

"Its okay, Haku," Chihiro assured him.

It was a lie. She cringed and told it all the same. Suzume and Kubi were still missing. So were Lin and Kiri. To make matters worse Shurui was still out there along with a horde of spiders. It was not okay in the slightest.

"Neh, kiddo?"

Cinna cut in on her thoughts as she waved at Haku's side.

"Reach in t'is cloak an' see if 'e's still got tha' bike rattlin' round in there."

Chihiro stared at her stupidly.

"Huh?"

The cat wilted in exasperation repeating herself slowly.

"Reach in an' see if y'cun find _t'motorcycle_ , neh?"

Doing as she was instructed Chihiro reached her arm back into his cloak only to have her fingertips tickle with magic. Frowning, she groped through a strange jumble of things: a pouch of salt; a length of rice rope; a roll of paper; a bag of sharp smelling leaves and sticks; pitch and iron flint; a sloshing gourd; feather fletched arrows; and umbrella; none of these were what she was looking for. Then her hand settled on something oddly familiar. It felt like a handle. She blinked rapidly. Closing her fingers around it she pulled only to stumble backwards as something larger than she expected followed. Chihiro squeaked in surprise as the motorcycle from Izu literally leapt out of nowhere like a bull emerging from beneath a matador's cloak. It landed with a squeaking jostling thud. Cinna unceremoniously dumped Haku into the side car as he all but passed out. Chihiro tried to get closer but Cinna made that impossible as she invaded his lap.

"Is he okay?"

The cat waved her off as she nicked something from his pocket.

" _Tch!_ Does 'e look okay?"

Cinna held up what she pilfered inspecting it closely. Immediately Chihiro recognized the compass and her hand went to the shell hanging around her neck. It wasn't a shell after all. It was a scale. Haku had used the same compass to find her necklace back in the Shinjuku alley. At once the cat roved out over the pond and in short seconds returned with a handful of treasures: Haku's glasses, four soggy fans, and a bow. Perching the spectacles on her nose she crossed her eyes with a frown and blinked comically. Chihiro choked on a laugh earning a chilly moue from the cat before Cinna shoved the spectacles into the Haku's cloak. She kept the compass then forced the bow into Chihiro's hands.

"'Ere. You shoot. Aye'll drive."

Cinna climbed into the driver's seat and adjusted the mirrors before studying the compass.

"Sourpuss's t'same direction as t'way out. S'gotta be ah good sigh, neh?"

By sourpuss Cinna meant Lin.

"What about Suzume?"

The cat's head jerked up as her pupil dilated to the point they swallowed her red irises.

"Suzume!"

Chihiro shifted uncomfortably as she explained shortly.

"He came with me… he, uh, _cut_ himself free..."

Every damp hair on the cat's body stood on end. Without another word she pulled on her cat mask as she kicked the motorcycle to life in a single stroke.

"Don' worry, kiddo," The cat rasped firmly, "We's gonna go find 'em."

Clambering up behind her Chihiro grabbed Cinna around the waist as she gunned the motor, spinning the tires and kicking up foaming water as they fishtailed forward. The headlamp flicked on as they hooked around the corner out into the dark tunnel. As the engine roared in the tight space the cat shifted gears rapidly, rocketing forward at an alarming speed. Almost immediately Chihiro jerked as hisses echoed at their back. Spiders flooded from tunnels. A shard of silk slammed into the metal hull of the side car. It shattered inches from Haku's lolling head spraying them with sticky filaments!

"Hold on, neh Kiddo!" Cinna shouted over the engine.

She began to weave as more splintering projectiles hit the walls around them. Chihiro flinched as the bits of silk ripped at her in passing. It wasn't long before a spider got lucky and hit a tire! Swallowing the wild terror scrambling around in her stomach at the sight of the ground rushing beneath her, Chihiro turned to straddle the gap between the bike and the side car. Anchoring her foot under Haku's heavy weight she braced the other on the opposite seat and took aim back the way they'd come. Calm; she was so freakin' calm. The same strange calm told here it didn't matter than she didn't have anything to shoot. She was going to make her own arrows. Taking a deep shuddering breath even as the bike bounced and jolted Chihiro drew the string back to her chin and breathed out.

Fire ignited between her lips and the bend of the bow.

She let the crackling bolt fly.

The string scraped down the inside of her arm more than painfully

But the arrow flew!

It flew straight back into the churning mass of black bodies only to explode.

Scuttling bodies fell back as screams echoed behind them.

Chihiro didn't hear them.

Again and again she blew arrows of flame and propelled them into the dark.

Light filled the tunnel behind them as the stones behind them began to burn.

* * *

 **LIN**

The lantern bumped and pushed her from behind, forcing her faster and faster.

"I'm going as fast as I can!"

Lin growled as they crept with aching slowness through the dark. The kami light hissed back at her, blowing crackling blue tongue of its wick as she impatiently gyrated overhead. There was no going any faster. Kiri could hardly keep on her feet and Lin certainly couldn't carry her.

"Lin… I don't feel so good," Kiri breathed faintly.

The smell of fresh blood was thick in the air. Lin was glad it was too dark for the human to see. At least she was awake. That was a good sign.

"I know, girl," Lin returned evenly, "Just keep moving."

Dragging the human forward she followed the lantern. It emitted the barest prick of light, guiding them through the winding tunnels. How she knew where she was going Lin wasn't sure. But there was no getting by the fact that the lantern knew this place and right now they needed all the help they could get. The tunnel broke open to their right. Wind and the smell of water breathed through the casement. Waterfalls hushed quietly in the dark deep below. Lin's memory jogged at the sound and smell. She remembered being carried by here.

Hurrying now, Lin hefted Kiri's weight and strode onward only to come up short as distant bells rang. More and more bells clanged and echoed, different and terrible somehow. The lantern guttered in bright shock, back the way they'd come as Haku's anguished shout filtered from afar. Lin's heart hammered in her ears as the silence following it froze her blood. She left him there. She left him in the cavern with the spider. Her insides twisted and tangled with bitter remorse over the fact that she'd had no choice but to leave him. Anger reminder her that long ago he'd left them to a similar fate. Gritting her teeth Lin admitted that was a pathetic excuse and she'd long since forgiven him.

He was family. Nothing could change that.

Lin let Kiri slump to the ground. She turned without realizing it, already gripping her unwieldy stomach as she hurried back the way she'd come. At once the lantern barred her path spitting sparks and glaring through her ribs with the single blue iris of its candle flame. Again Lin came to a standstill. Her heart squeezed at the top of her throat as the kits stirred restlessly inside her stomach. Choking on another sob she forced herself to remember Suzume's last words to her. No matter how impossible it seemed; no matter how terrible the cost; for her children's sake she had to get out of here.

Again Haku screamed faintly, so faintly Lin barely heard it.

The sound forced a shuddering moan from her lips. Bitter tears slipped down her cheeks as her heart cracked into pieces. Silently Lin cried in the dark, hating herself for turning away. Woodenly she went back to collect the human off the floor. She had lost family before. She'd seen their bloody pelts hung to dry inthe snow. Loss had never stopped her before. Why should it stop her now? Trudging up the slightly inclined slope Lin pressed on through misery only to pause as a strange sound rolled down the tunnel ahead of them.

Wind breathed from the dark.

It smelled green and sharp like the ocean.

Not at all the musty metallic water found here.

The lantern zipped in front of her burning brighter and brighter in confusion. She whirled to the right as something roared into the cavern beside them. Darting out into the well the God light erupted into dazzling brightness, illuminating the yawning interior. Tunnels corkscrewed their way down around the central shaft, opening from time to time in similar places to where they stood. Out of these portholes a torrent of water gushed and spurted. Screams echoed up and down the atrium as spiders scrambled out of the holes, clambering across the walls in a futile attempt to find dry safety. Gushing sheets of water poured from above, peeling them from the stone and hurtling them into the below.

As the ground began to shake, sending stones rattling and clattering at her feet, Lin hauled Kiri onto a tiny lee on the ledge at the dizzying drop just as flood of snarling frothing water poured through the tunnel beside them. It erupted by, hurling itself over the edge into thin air and soaking them with spray. The God light fled into the center of the vault to avoid being smothered in water. Lin struggled to pin Kiri to the wall and keep herself anchored against the jets of water spilling around the corner. They drilled through the rock lip, pushing and dragged at them from behind as the crumbling rock became impossible to hold.

She needed another arm, another hand for herself.

But she had only one; one hand to keep too many safe.

Lin scrambled as her bare feet slipped as the narrow lip of rock began eroding.

Before she could fall into the dizzy chasm below hands seized her.

"Hold on!" Kuromi hissed in her ear, "Get the human, Ritsuko!"

Swinging down from above on thick lines of silk the spiders snatched them from the wall pushing away with beetle black legs so strong the stone shattered, buckling and crumbling as dark salty water poured through. Lin tightened her arm like a vice around Kuromi's narrow neck as they arced backwards through the impenetrable haze of choking spray, illuminated by the lantern as they broke out into the clear swallowing emptiness. They flew with such forceful speed Lin's stomach floated up into her mouth and she lost all sense of direction. Their smooth flight was interrupted as they lurched down in a jolt that left them spinning wildly, buffeted from all sides by violent winds.

"The lines are burning!" Ritsuko shrieked from somewhere beside them.

"Salt water!" Kuromi exclaimed in dismay. "It's eroding them!"

Lin screamed as they pitched downward only to break into terrifying freefall. Her neck snapped and she bit her tongue as again they yanked upwards. Silk unfurled overhead in a billowing chute, unfurled by Kuromi's many hands. Another silken sail lifted beside them as Lin caught sight of Kiri's white face in Ritsuko's arms. They were snatched upward at a dizzy speed by the currents of air below them until Kuromi spared a hand to hurl a line of silk through the parting mist. The lantern darted ahead of them illuminating a porthole to show it was dry.

"It's clear!" Kuromi shouted down at her sister over the thunder of the falls.

The spider hauled them hand over hand back to the landing. Lin spilled to the ground the moment her feet touched solidity. Her shaking legs folded as she bent gasping and quaking in terror. Back in her human guise Kuromi knelt beside her. Her red eyes glimmered with genuine concern.

"You didn't really think I'd drop you, did you?"

"I d-don't like _f-flying…!"_ Lin choked hoarsely.

The spider snorted, flashing another mild smirk.

"That wasn't flying, weasel woman. That was falling."

"Look, Kuromi!"

Ritsuko's laugh was completely out of place as the lantern hovered anxiously.

"It's the lantern that got away."

"Leave the dumb thing alone," Kuromi sighed, "I'm tired of chasing it."

"Go on," Ritsuko encouraged it away, "Sho! _Sho!"_

The spider took Lin's arm and gently pulled her upright. As she did Lin gasped and crumbled back to the ground as again the seizing contraction rippled across her stomach. She was already soaked to the bone but warmth flowed down the inside of her legs. Ripping free her arm Lin gripped her belly, grinding her teeth until the contraction passed leaving her wilted and gasping.

" _Shit, shit, shit!"_ Kuromi panicked, "What do we do! Tell us what to do!"

Lin seized the spider's hem.

"Please…!" She begged quietly, "You've taken everything else, let my children live!"

Kuromi yanked the fabric out of her hand as she went cold.

"I already told you we're not gonna hurt you or your babies, weasel woman."

"I believe you," Lin choked hoarsely, "But I don't believe Shurui."

Obviously unnerved by that, Kuromi pulled her upright far less gently than before.

"Get the human, Ritsuko."

"She doesn't believe mother," The little spider repeated quietly.

Ritsuko seemed awed and frightened by the fact. Gods couldn't tell an outright lie. That didn't mean they were incapable of mistruths.

"Ritzy!" Kuromi barked angrily.

The little spider startled before angrily pointing at Lin.

"She doesn't believe mother!" Ritsuko repeated herself in a hissed whisper, "We're not the only ones anymore, Kuromi!"

 _"Shut up get the human!"_

Silently Lin watched all this in confusion until the bigger spider hauled her up and carried her back out the way they'd come. For a moment her hammering heart squeezed up into her throat as she considered for a brief moment that Kuromi might actually let her go. But that hope died, turning her heart stone as the spider carried her to the old train.

"Open up!" She commanded the ancient car.

It shuddered and the doors jerked but remained closed. The car emitted a sorry hiss as it lapsed to stillness.

"Ah, you're _useless!_ " Kuromi kicked it angrily.

Gritting her teeth with effort she hauled the doors open with a pair of her hands. The metal shrieked in protest but complied, permitting them to duck inside. Ritsuko laid Kiri on one of the rotting benches. The human was unconscious and the little spider retreated with an uncertain glance back at her as Kuromi set Lin on her feet.

"Stay here," the spider instructed, "I really don't want to bite you."

With that she left and the doors slammed behind her. Gripping the rust blistered pole to keep herself upright Lin gritted her teeth against angry shouts. She blinked, peering through the filthy windows as Ritsuko turned on her heel to confront her sister. They hissed and argued with each other heatedly. Again and again the little spider pointed back at them. Leaning closer Lin tried to hear what she was saying. Then another contraction hit her so forcefully she lurched to a seat. Gritting her teeth and pulling in short shallow breathes Lin sagged as it passed.

" _Are you alright, Lin-sama?"_

With a gasp she knocked back against the side of the car only to find the ghost's transparent head poking through the floor at her feet. The rest of his body was hidden below the gouged and ruined floor. Lin stared at him askance, stunned by his appearance.

"T-Tomoe! C-can you get us out of here!"

Sadly the ghost thinned.

 _"No. I cannot come inside. Nor will it open as I have requested."_

Abruptly he submerged as angry voices drew near. His ethereal voice filtered through the floor unnervingly.

 _"Though you cannot see me know I am with you, Lin-sama."_

"Ristuko, wait!" Kuromi began lamely.

In a complete role reversal the little spider was shouting at the big spider now.

"No! You're the one who told me you don't believe her anymore!"

 _"Shh!"_ Kuromi hissed in a panic, "Someone will hear!"

"Good! I hope they do! They need to know these kami different. They're not like the ones from Shitamachi. Maybe they can help us?"

Kuromi's explosively bitter laugh was devoid of humor.

"Help us! Our sisters just killed one of their friends! We destroyed their home and stole almost everyone inside! Why would they _help_ us?"

"Maybe if we stopped being monsters…"

"We're not monsters!" Kuromi hissed back furiously.

" _Monsters_ kill people! _We_ kill people!"

As her sister silenced Ritsuko hurried on in a rush of earnest words.

"I don't want to kill or break things anymore! I want to breathe air that doesn't stink like death! I want to eat ice cream and pizza and play pachinko and go to school and ride on the Ferris Wheel in the park! I want to live up there and feel sunlight! I want to be _human_!"

A stunned silence struck the train platform.

"Ritzy…" Kuromi began helplessly.

"Don't tell me it's impossible because it's not!" The little spider hushed, "You saw the dragon, right? He's one of them. Maybe he can tell us how he did it?"

"Ritzy!"

The big spider was pleading now, at a loss for words. Not that the little spider was listening. Lin held her breath, straining to hear every word.

"She tells us what to do! She tells us what to think! We do it because we believe she speaks for Garuda. That's no reason to listen to someone. She's wrong this time, Kuromi, and I'm going to make sure everyone knows it!"

Lin dragged herself back to her feet as the little spider hauled the door open proving herself far stronger than she looked. At once she changed, wearing a school girl's uniform of black, red, and yellow to match the garish make-up coloring her eyes lips and cheeks. Her hair was pulled up at a jaunty angle in a strangely bangled tie festooned with little spiders with rolling silly eyes. Swathed entire in her human guise Ritsuko leaned inside and offered her hand with an apologetic smile. Her teeth remained sharp even though her red eyes were sincere.

"C'mon. I'm going to get you out of here."

A bell rang; one of the same terrible bells that rang before. Everything happened so fast Lin didn't have time to react. Ritsuko gasped as Kuromi grabbed her by the back of the neck. Her sister hurled her at the wall behind them. The stone shattered around her but the little spider bounced back. She kept her feet however stunned as again the bell rang. Sharper than sound a blade of silk silently sliced the air. Red splashed across the broken wall in a long thin line. Ritsuko blinked as her eyes went wide. Then her head toppled from her shoulders.

* * *

 **HAKU**

Wind sang in cold currents through his face and hair.

For a moment he thought he was flying. He could feel the speed of travel humming in his chest. It was such a soothing sensation. It made him long to sleep. Jostling and rocking Haku fought to open his eyes. Light bloomed beyond his lids and the peaceful spell ripped away with jarring swiftness. Sound returned in a creaking metallic roar as his head knocked against steel. He jolted against the sharp springs digging into his back. Blinking rapidly he gripped familiar metal as panic surged into his chest. Then he looked up at Chihiro and froze.

She could have been kami: a fair goddess of fire and light. Her yukata gaped, billowing in the fierce wind to reveal the white flesh beneath. His scale glinted against her skin in the gloom. Magic teemed beneath her skin until in his eyes she showed like the moon, perched above him like a crescent in the sky in a powerful posture braced against their erratic weaving path. Her silver hair whipped in the wind, sparkling with winking mote of fire as she pulled his bow string to her chin. Supernatural tongues of gold-red fire burned in Chihiro's eyes as she gazed with intense concentration into the distance. Pursing her lips she blew slowly, breathing out the magic burning inside her. Crackling and snapping, fire erupted between her hands. It illuminated her face in the dark, making her light up in a halo of fire as the bolt sang in a crackling scream from her fingers.

An explosion rocked the tunnel in back of them.

Rocks and dusts pelted them from behind.

The vision broke in that moment as they bounced and swerved at a frightening speed. Tires left the ground as they rocked off the wall. Chihiro sheltered from the shrapnel gritting her teeth in pain, breathing thin curls of smoke as she slumped against the side of the motorbike. Her bare legs trembled and her parched lips were cracked and bleeding. She gripped her drawing hand and he saw her fingertips were blackened and blistered. The skin on the inside of her drawing arm was smeared with a harsh purple bruise fleck with red inflicted by repeated string recoil. Chihiro gasped and lost her balance, scrambling to seize the lip of the side car as Okesa veered wildly.

" _Spiders ahead!"_ the cat rasped loudly.

Haku's senses rang with alarm as shards of silk ricocheted off the stone walls. Catching her by the loose fold of her kimono he hauled Chihiro down into the side car beside him. As she crashed against him making the injured rib at his side scream something plastered over the windshield of the driver's side, swallowing the cat and the pane of glass in a thick unyielding film of white.

" _SHITE!"_ Okesa screeched from beneath.

They careened blindly, slammed back and forth between the walls kicking up sparks as they ground against the stones. Chihiro scrambled upright beside him, shoving him back and as she invaded his cloak to retrieve the bag of salt. He submitted only to scramble to find purchase on her she whirled to cast handful after handful of salt ahead of them, scattering the grains over the silk blind. It dissolved in widening patches of hissing smoke.

Okesa clawed and ripped her way through, standing up on the footrests to see ahead of them. The cat jerked the motorbike back on track. Dropping the bag of salt between them Chihiro fearlessly redirected her attention through deadly rain of silk. She braced her foot on the lip of the side car, snatched up the bow from between them, and drew.

Fire fizzled and flew only to explode ahead of them far too close. The tunnel clogged with falling rocks, choking smoke and blazing fire. Screeching spiders clambered up the walls around them as they roared by, tearing at them with their spindly arms and hammering them with projectiles. Ignoring the pinch at his side Haku blew an arctic blast of wind right in their faces only to gasp as the motorcycle slammed into something. Red splattered up the sides of the motorcycle. Mercilessly the tires mowed over remains that popped and crushed beneath them until the tires were wet with gore. Haku's stomach heaved at the sight of the blood. His skin crawled at the stink of new death. Only screams of terror and panic ricocheted off the stones before them. The barrage of silk arrows had long since ended but Chihiro continued to rain fire in advance of the motorbike.

"Chihiro, stop!"

Lost in the fire hanging around her head in a hungry halo of red she did not hear him. As she drew the string again he seized her by the back of her yukata, yanking her down beside him. Haku tore the bow from her hands, pinning her as she fought and struggled. The seat cushion beneath her hand melted in jets of smoke as Haku seized her face and forced her to look at him, cringing even as his palms blistered and burned at the heat emanating from her cheeks.

" _Enough!"_ He choked hoarsely, _"No more!"_

The angry fire in her eyes slowly guttered and smoldered until it winked out. She had burned away her stores of magic. No longer God-like, she lay beneath him and became human again. Her hair was brown again though thoroughly shot through with silver. Chihiro shook violently, lifting a hand to touch the sticky spatters of blood smeared on her cheeks. Her pale face transfixed with horror as her brown eyes focused, slowly looking at him instead of through him. He knew the look on her face only too well. It struck a terrible chord of memory inside him. Scrambling upright Chihiro vomited over the back of the side car, hanging there sobbing and heaving long after she had finished. Haku gripped her obi, anchoring her against the bumps and jolts not knowing what to say or do. Never had he felt a more terrible emotion than helplessness.

"Almost there!" Okesa grated over the engines roar as she drove faster.

Again the horrible brass bell rang but this time not for him. Haku's inside scrambled as a familiar flute keened in distant response. The songs went to war with each other in the distance. The flute swallowed the bell. Then blue fox light suffused as the song ended abruptly. As quickly as it came the lights winked into darkness. Over the roar of the engine all he could hear was Kubi. She was laughing; laughing. The terrible rasping sound rang a stark knell of warning inside his heart.

* * *

 **LIN**

Kuromi stood motionless as her sister's body crumbled to the ground.

As it reverted to its true form the spider stared uncomprehending.

It was only when she saw the blade of silk in her hand and realized what he bell had forced her to do that she screamed. The spider shrieked again and again, turning black and terrible as she returned to her true form like her dead sister. Kuromi turned on her mother, hurling long lances of silk. Lin hadn't even seen Shurui as she emerged from the caverns. None of them had. The Spider Queen redirected each missile with a nominal flick of her black fan. Shurui moved closer, ringing and clanging with each sinuous step. The bell rang commandingly, compelling with terrible beauty, crushing down on them like an unyielding hand. Kuromi obeyed, forced to sit motionless on the floor just. Lin was forced to a seat beside Kiri as the car doors slammed shut.

" _Why!"_ Kuromi wailed in anguish, _"WHY!"_

Shurui stood over the headless spider with quiet sadness.

"I could not afford the seeds of doubt she was so intent on sowing."

The Spider Queen towered over Kuromi.

"What about you, little one? Do you doubt me also?"

Kuromi bared needled teeth, glaring with red eyes glowing with hate.

"Ritzy was right!" She spat viciously, _"You're a monster!"_

Bells rang again as Shurui threw her fan overhead. Kuromi sat bolt upright, holding in her many hands a long lance of silk. The point pressed to her armored chest right over her heart. Before the black fan could fall a flute keened in the silence. Loud and shrill it drowned the bell. Shurui and Kuromi screeched in unison and clamped many hands over their ears. Lin dragged herself upright as the bell's persuasion dissolved. Pressed against the glass at the back of the car she caught herself on the rail.

Goddamn spiders with all their twisted half-truths!

Suzume was alive! _Alive!_

Her relief was short lived. Lin's insides stilled with disquiet as she stared. She hardly recognized her mate. His ragged hair was cut short, invading his face with threads so pale they could've been remnants of spider silk. He wore mortal clothes. Something was wrong. Something important about him was missing. Then it hit her; the fact that he was here when by all means that should've been impossible. Lin understood in that moment and the terrible knowledge left her empty with amazement. It dissolved her knees leaving her clinging to the railing.

He renounced his vow. It was the only way to explain how he was here.

He'd given up his ties to Izu. He'd forsaken his service to O-Inari-sama.

All so he could follow her here.

In that moment all the doubt she'd ever had in his love dried up and blew away.

 _Stupid, stupid fox!_

The shards of her flint heart melted as spilled tears down her cheeks. Silently she watch the gold flute flash in his hands like a blade. His luminous eyes burned like cinders in the dark as his handsome face twisted with hate. The flute's song carved through the dank air with exacting precision and Kuromi collapsed to the floor. It compelled Shurui to her knees; but even as she was force to kneel under its hold she began to dance, making the music her own. Shurui bent one knee, planting her foot firmly as she stood in slow supple movements, drawing long sharp shards as she did. At once Suzume changed his tune, forcing her to slower and slower so she couldn't cast her missiles.

Something pulled Lin's attention away back to the gate.

A glint of light flashed off of all things another God-woman.

The stranger wore a green kimono and of all things a collar and leash. Soaked to the bone and still dripping with water, she stood there stupidly and didn't do a damned thing to help as the bat staggered out into the open clasping her hands over her ears as if the sound was killing her. Lin hoped it would. Obviously blind the bat didn't see the stranger even as the God-woman's wide silver eyes tracked her every step. Straightening as if it took all her strength the bat produced a dagger, holding the blade pinched between her spindly finger and thumb as if read to throw it. Seeing the bat Shurui redoubled her efforts until she saw the God-woman in the green kimono.

Stunned for some reason, the spider fell perfectly still.

She sat meekly as Suzume's song forced her to the floor.

In the same moment the bat lifted her huge telescopic ears.

Even without seeing she found Suzume, zeroing in on his location thru sound.

Without thinking Lin smashed her fist against the window pane: once; twice!

She shouted through at the top of her lungs

" _Behind you!"_

Lin's sudden voice must've confused the bat because her massive ears jerked to the side just as she threw the blade. It missed Suzume by inches. He flinched to the side as it clattered against the stones at the end of the platform. Suzume's song abruptly silenced as foxfires erupted around him, dousing the train platform in blinding blue light. In the same moment Shurui sprang up hurling sharp lances only to recoiling blinking rapidly as the fires blinded her. The spider's projectiles flew wide. All the same the hungry orbiting lights raced to devour them in guttering pops. Lin watched through the narrow length of window only to realize Shurui wasn't interested in Suzume anymore. The spider harried him with silk only to keep him busy. Blinking rapidly as her sight cleared, one set of eyes watched the fox as the other returned to the God-woman in the green kimono with all-consuming intensity.

"Get down, bat!" Shurui shouted.

As the kami flattened to the ground the spider attached a line to a barbed lance.

Shurui cast it with all her might.

The woman in the green kimono watched all of this but didn't move an inch.

She didn't duck or dodge. She just stood there.

She didn't even scream as it struck her square in the chest!

Shurui pulled with one set of arms even as with another she threw out the black fan, slamming Suzume back against the wall as the bells rang viciously. She plastered him there with a series of badly aimed sheets of silk. Lin threw herself to the doors trying to see him in the flooding dark as Shurui danced his foxfires to submission. All the while two of her arms hauled on the line, dragging the God-woman across the stone floor. Lin recoiled, clambering around the seats to find a better view as Shurui as she snatched up her catch. Peering around the window she watched as the spider's many hands dove into the speared kami's clothes, searching only to come up empty.

 _"Where is it!"_ Shurui thundered, _"Where's the bell?"_

The God-woman grinned in agony as red stained her white lips.

"Idiot… Do you really think the bell matters?"

It was a classic kami response: a question for a question.

Shurui seized her by the throat, holding her by the collar.

"What're you talking about?"

At once the truth poured out of the stranger.

"I lied to you. I lied to Shitamachi and Ueno. I convinced you to spend all this time chasing after that stupid bell when it could've been _any_ bell."

Shurui's brow constricted with enraged confusion as the God-woman laughed in her face. She laughed and laughed as if it was the last thing she would do. The terrible hoarse gurgling sound that threatened Lin's calm. Shurui shook her viciously as the God-woman's head lolled.

" _Why are you laughing?"_

"I have to ring it…" She gasped faintly, "And I can't ring it… if I'm dead."

Grimly the Spider Queen lifted a hand to dangle the iron bell in front of her nose.

"I have a bell, Kubi. You're not dead yet."

Lin scrambled back from the window as the spider rounded on the train.

Her red eyes narrowed as they saw her through the glass.

"Let's go, bat!"

Lin shrank back beside Kiri.

The human was still unconscious.

Throwing her eyes to where Suzume was pinned to the wall her heart thrilled.

He had almost burned through!

The look on her face must've betrayed him and Lin choked on a strangled sob as the spider turned. She plastered the fox's embered outline under more layers of smothering silk. Satisfied that he wasn't going anywhere Shurui strode down the platform dragging the strange God-woman behind her and leaving a long wet smear of blood in her wake. Grinding her teeth in hate Lin almost put a hand on Umi's dagger. But before she could betray herself as well the car doors shrieked open as at the command of the black fan. Cold terror poured over Lin as the smell of blooded rolled inside. Another contraction bent her in half, sending her to her knees. A shadow fell over her as she did. Utterly helpless, Lin stared at the spider's pale white feet. Shurui's toes were bloody as she dropped the dying God-woman.

Lin gritted her jaw in revulsion, lost in the gripping overwhelming sensation.

There was nothing to do but bear down and wait for it to pass.

Even then there was nothing she could do.

Not yet, at least; not yet.


	49. Chapter 49

**HAKU**

As the motorcycle roared out of the tunnel the sound of the engine was engulfed by the scream of steel. The world went sharp with detail as the motorcycle veered and the cat slammed on the breaks. The headlamp chased at a train as it rushed away from the platform casting gouts of wind in its passing. Haku froze as he caught a glimpse of Lin inside the car. Then the headlight caught Tomoe. Obviously stowing himself away the ghost was standing on the narrow lip at the very back of the train. The train melted away into the dark mouth of the tunnel, disappearing round a bend in the tracks.

" _SHITE!"_

Okesa's shriek ripped Haku back to the present.

They skittered sideways and lurched off the dark platform, dumped into the shallow stream running along the recessed tracks. Metal snapped and sprung loudly as they landed hard. The sidecar snapped off spilling them onto the muck. Holding Chihiro closely they lay there for a dazed moment in the dark until Cinna clambered into their faces. Over her head Chouchin flared, turning blue and green with worry and illuminating the cavern in stark planes of bright and dark.

"Oi! _Oi!?_ " The cat snapped her finger in his face, "Y'okay, kitten?"

Haku batted her hand away before glaring. She only grinned at him.

"Good 'nough, neh?"

Every hair on the cat's body stood on end as Suzume shouted distantly.

"Okesa!?"

At once the cat clambered up to hang on the edge of the platform peering beyond.

"Suzume!" She rasped in a stunned voice.

"They took her!" The fox shouted back, "They took Hayashimi!"

The cat dropped down and was on Haku in a blink.

"Hold this, neh?"

She shoved his compass back into his hand only to displace Chihiro, pinning him down as she went rifling around in his cloak. When the cat did not find what she sought there she clambered over to root in the side car leaving him sprawled on the sharp stones.

"Where's tha' salt, neh?!"

"Hurry, Okesa! I cannot burn this _infernal_ silk fast enough! We must follow!"

Even as the fox continued to bark in uncharacteristic panic the compass needle spun. Haku's insides drenched with frost as it pointed the same way for both Shurui as it pointed for Lin. Lifting his eyes to stare at the hungry black mouth of the tunnel Haku knew the spider had taken his sister.

"Gotcha!"

Okesa trampled them in her haste to get back to the ox only to come up short shaking the empty bag as she realized it was empty. The salt must have spilled when Chihiro dropped it. Making a moue the cat wiggled her claws.

"Neh!" She called loudly, "Aye's gonna have t'do this _t'hard_ way."

In a blink the cat was at the ledge pulling herself up and over.

" _Shite!_ " Okesa screeched from the platform above, "There's ah _spider_ up 'ere! Ah dead one an' a live one"

"She is no threat!" Suzume snarled, "See to me at once!"

Haku stood shakily, using the lip of the opposite platform to keep himself from falling as he pulled Chihiro with him. With every intention of giving the train chase he lurched to the motorcycle and began extricating it from the wreckage of the side car. It was then that Chouchin sank overhead illuminating the huge puncture in the front tire. Haku sagged, clinging to the handle bars as thwarted rage set him chewing angry words. He was about to indulge in some choice phrases he had learned from Jae when Chihiro hushed his name quietly.

"H-Haku?"

He forgot his work, looking up only to find her straying down the tracks. She was staring askance at the tunnel as if not sure what to make of it. It was no normal train tunnel after all. The smell of magic hummed at the lip of its mouth. Almost immediately it crossed back into the Spirit World. Shadows flickered and scrambled there as Chouchin recoiled with a hiss. Chihiro backed up into him never taking her eyes off the tunnel.

"Something _bad's_ about to happen," she choked, "Something really, _really_ bad!"

Unnerved by her disquiet Haku realized the stink of fresh blood was sharp in the air hanging over them. As he followed her gaze his insides tightened and wound into snarled balls of fear as premonition crushed him from above with chilling certainty. An eerie breeze breathed from the tunnel sending him shuddering in horror as he collected her closer. Hurriedly lifting her by the waist Haku hoisted her up onto the edge. She pulled on his arms, tugging on his cloak in her haste to get him onto the platform.

"We need to go!"

Chihiro called across the spider bridge to the cat and fox. In that moment a tremor rattled the ground. They froze as bits of dust shook free from the low ceiling. Chouchin guttered nervously as she fled to Haku's shoulder. He turned after Chihiro as she pulled on his sleeve, dragging him after her only to have the fabric rip out of her fingers as she ran ahead of him. She almost careened into to the door barring the stairwell digging in her sleeve. A red tile flashed in her fingers and she slapped it against the metal as a sound like distant thunder rolled out of the tunnel. The smell of distant fire and chemicals made every hair on his arms stand on end. Terror yanked his heart into his throat as the floor jolted violently this time. It heaved so violently it felt like as if the ground had punched him.

Haku's dismayed shout was smothered in a deafening bass roar.

He was thrown down as something struck him from above.

Pouring rocks cascaded around him as the ceiling caved in huge planes.

The growling snarling earth snapped at him.

It opened its dark craggy maw to swallow him whole.

He would have been swallowed had the hand not come for him in that moment.

More and more hands hauled him backwards into stunning quiet.

Suddenly he was staring up at the still floating sun.

Cringing beneath his arms he shrank in terror from the light as it sank over him. Stupid with fear and expecting instant immolation, Haku blinked as he realized it was only Chouchin. His ears were still ringing and he could not hear as Chihiro's face floated over him to eclipse the lantern. Her mouth worked but her lips made no sound. Lying there half crushed by her on cold green tiles he stared up at the spider as she towered over them. Heaving her back against the door the demon tried to force it closed against the rubble and rock pouring around its edge. Pushing with all her legs and arms, gritting her sharp teeth and straining with all her might, the spider finally shut the door.

* * *

 **CHIHIRO**

Blazing brightly the lantern flooded the room with light.

Chihiro seized Haku, dragging him back as rocks clattered on the tiles.

Abruptly the door slammed shut and crashed over.

The spider spilled forward onto the splintered wood as if afraid it might pop open again. As the she sprawled she transformed, becoming a teenaged girl in a black, red, and yellow school uniform. She was filthy, covered in dirt and mud like the rest of them. Her knees were bloody and her pointy features were paler than pale against the long fall of her straight black hair. It took Chihiro a second to realize that beneath her thick bangs the girl's eyes were red; blood red. They stared at each other mutely until with a hiss Cinna leapt onto the counter arching her back and bristling her tail, yowling as she pointed a claw again and again at the spider.

" _Onsen!"_ The cat hissed, _"Get 'er! Get 'er! Get 'er!"_

The house erupted in a furious column of flame at the corner of the kitchen. With a shriek the spider shrank, scrambling back until she knocked against the kitchen table as With a shriek the spider leapt up over the table and clambered up the wall to press into the corner. The lantern fled the tendrils of flame that went creeping across the rafters reaching for the spider. Haku's arms flatted across her chest as he knocked them back against the sink. Then Suzume was standing over them with a commanding bark.

 _"Enough!"_

At once the angry fire dwindled, collecting back down into the old hearth. Covered in dirt and mud, Suzume favored his arm as he glared at the spider. The fox in him emerged as he growled beneath his breath.

"Why did you save us?!"

Swallowing with difficulty, splitting her attention between the fire and fox, the spider calmed as she took a steadying breath.

"The enemy of my enemy is no enemy of mine."

Suzume bared his teeth as his gold eyes went lethal.

"A cunning answer, demon; but it is not enough to persuade me to spare your life. Explain yourself plainly else I give you to the fire."

Trembling visibly now, the spider bowed over her hands even though she was stuck to the wall. Her black hair fell like water around her terror pinched face but her choked voice was resigned. It set the bell in her chest ringing with truth.

"I would rather die than continue living as a monster."

That was not the answer any of them had been expecting At that moment Kenka scuffed his way between the kitchen curtains. Chihiro almost didn't recognize him. He was wearing an indigo yukata and a kerchief rolled up into a brow band. Yawning and scratching his messy frosted hair he made it halfway down the stairs before he stopped mid step. His eyes went huge in the firelight as he stared down, taking in the whole kitchen. Chihiro's insides scrambled. Kenka's eyes were gray; not brown! At once the human spun on his heels and clambered back into the hall.

It was only then that she realized the kitchen wasn't a pile of rubble. Staring around, she found there was no longer a hole in the ceiling. Everything was clean and neat as if none of this had ever happened. It smelled ever so slightly of wood smoke, grilled fish, and miso soup. Chihiro blinked rapidly, fighting tears of relief as her throat closed painfully at the smell. Suzume frowned back at her as she sniffled only to lift his angry gaze to Cinna.

"Get off the counter, cat!"

She hissed, lashing her tail, looking like she might launch herself at him.

"Make me, y'dumb fox!"

That was the closest the two of them would ever come to affection. Chihiro was a little more direct that that. Scrambling upright she threw herself at the fox nearly knocking them both over. Suzume threw up his arms and yipped in surprise only to hug her reluctantly, pulling her close and clinging even as he pushed her away. They shook together, quaking in silence sharing the same terrible grief. After all they'd been through and survived; after all he'd scarified; they'd come home without Lin. As Chihiro took a shuddering breath ready to reassure him with all kinds of fanciful plans of rescue the fox silenced her by putting a charcoal scented hand on her mouth.

"Please, Child," he entreated in a whisper, "Not now."

Recoiling abruptly the fox glanced at Haku as Cinna yanked and pulled him up. The lantern lifted into the rafters illuminating them clearly. Haku's sad green eyes reflected the light as he glanced at the fox. Overwhelming sorrow flooded his face; so did shame and guilt. Everything was written there for anyone to read. Suzume saw it. Instantly his eyes sizzled with ferocious rage. It happened so fast. The fox hit him. Suzume punched Haku so hard he went down taking the cat with him. Chihiro threw herself between them, holding up her hands.

"Suzume, stop!"

He rolled back only to doggedly pace in front of her like an animal all the while glaring at Haku before making another advance.

" _I said stop!"_

Fear bloomed in her chest like a bitter gust of wind. She flattened her hands on the God's chest and pushed knowing he didn't have to listen anymore. She would make him listen if she had to. By some grace he heard her. The savage expression on his face faltered if only for a moment as he glanced down at her but it returned full force as he looked back at Haku. The room darkened beneath the terrifying power of the God's hate.

"You brought this upon us, Dragon," Suzume growled beneath his breath, "If Hayashimi dies I will _kill_ you myself!"

With that the fox fled out the back door. It slammed against the wall nearly torn from its tracks as he went. Onsen shuddered violent as the house's misery bleed through her very walls. The lantern blew angry red sparks in the fox's wake as it flared and crackled at the door the way a dog might bark at a fleeing intruder. Horror-struck by what had just happened Chihiro stood there shaking until Cinna tugged her yukata. Looking down she found the cat pinned to the green tiles with Haku sprawled across her lap. Haku was out cold but every hair on the cat's body was standing on end.

At once Chihiro was kneeling to expect his bloody mouth. It matched the red bruise smeared on his cheek. Flustering uselessly, she squeaked and flinched back against the cabinets beneath the sink as the spider stepped down from the wall. The kami stood in the corner of the nook eyeing Haku nervously. Chihiro's heart thrilled into the top of her throat because she'd totally forgotten about the spider!

"Is he okay?"

The spider stepped down onto the tile and held out her hands.

"Can I help?"

Chihiro blinked as they multiplied before her very eyes. Cinna jolted and growled low in her throat as her dangerous red eyes contracted into slits. Her hand slowly reached for something in Haku's cloak. Straightening slowly the spider took a careful step away from them watching the cat with steady caution.

"I'm not going to hurt you," the spider murmured evenly.

"Aye don' believe y' _monster_!" Cinna hissed, baring teeth and lashing her tail.

The spider blinked, flinching as if the words hurt her physically.

Then she glanced sharply at the hall.

In a twist of shadows she faded into nothing as humans invaded.

Jae and Kenka clambered down the steps followed shortly by Megumi. Chihiro gaped because they all wore indigo yukata and looked like they'd come straight from sleep. Jae stared between them, the sooty ceiling, and the rubble strewn around the broken door on the floor only to grip his head and mutter all kinds of things in a language Chihiro didn't understand.

Megumi held Kenka back by the collar as he tried to come down into the kitchen. Her round gray eyes stared in terror at Cinna. Never looking away from the humans the cat wriggled free from under Haku. With eerie quickness she slunk under the table to hide. Crouched over her knees, Cinna tucked her tail across her feet and peered with reflective red eyes from the gloom.

"What _t'fuck,_ Chihiro!?" Jae choked in Japanese.

Chihiro silenced him with a quelling hand.

"I'll explain in the morning, okay?"

Jae wasn't having any of it. His tight features turned with anger and confusion as he took a deep breath and opened his mouth to launch into a fresh tirade.

"You've been gone for a _fuckin' week!_ Explain now!"

Chihiro blinked at that revelation, struggling with it.

A handful of in Kami hours turned into a week of human time.

She should've been used to it by now.

"C'mon, Jae," Megumi was pulling on him.

Angrily he yanked back his arm.

"You're not my fuckin' mom, Meg!"

Onsen's once placid fire snapped crossly from the hearth. She flared, scolding them brightly. Like terrified children the humans shrank from the fire's admonishment. Pulling him by the back of his robe Megumi towed Jae through the split curtain. Kenka was the last through. He kept looking back again and again. It wasn't until Haku sat up that Chihiro realized he was awake.

"Bath," Haku rasped wearily.

She couldn't agree more. Her insides stirred with mounting disquiet as she felt the dried gritty blots pull the skin on her face. She tried not to think about it as she helped Haku up, fitting herself under his arm. Even as she bore his weight on her shoulders he had to brace himself against the wall with his other arm to make it to the bath wing. Onsen didn't need to light their way as Haku's lantern followed overhead. Beneath the God lights rosy illumination she saw everything had been restored. Nothing was burned, broken, or smashed. It was like none of this had happened. Chihiro gritted her teeth against the painful pinch in her throat.

If only that was true.

They staggered across the covered bridge into the bath wing. A blissfully familiar press of humid air crept down the hall in sharp-smelling mist. The lantern followed them all the way across until Haku appealed to her weakly.

"Excuse us a while, dear Chouchin?"

Apparently that was the obake's name. As if blushing the lantern went pink before she turned and floated back the way they'd come, nosily inspecting every nook and cranny along the way. Dim electric lights flickered to life in the rafters as Chihiro hit the switch. The electricity drove out Onsen's inquisitive presence. Running on auto-pilot Chihiro diverted them into the girl's side of the showers. As gently as possible she eased Haku onto the wood bench in the changing room. She left him there to get towels and clean yukata from the storage cabinet in the hall. These she dropped onto the floor as she came back through the sliding door.

Throwing her hands over her mouth she fought to hold in a gasp.

He'd stripped the green kimono from his shoulders.

It pooled around his waist leaving his chest and arms bare.

Scratches clawed at his pale, pale skin.

Bruises smeared him like purple mud.

One stretched the entire length of his right side like a stain of indigo.

The worst were the welts.

He was covered in evil looking bites like to the ones on Cinna's neck. These were new; red and puckered; one was even bleeding still. She began to shake with horror as she realized they must be spider bites. Haku looked up and frowned sharply. Following her traumatized stare he looked down at himself and blinked as if noticing for the first time. As his face wiped with understanding he held up his hands explaining with calm reassurance.

"It is alright, dear one, they do not hurt much."

Again with the Buddhist calm! She didn't know how he could be so calm in the face of that lie. It wasn't alright. Nothing was alright. Seeing him all beat up like this was a terrible reminder. He wasn't a God anymore; well, not entirely at least; but that meant he could be hurt just as easily as she could. If he got cut he would bleed. If he fell he could break something. All the marks on him now were proof of that. She recoiled in terror from the very real possibility that he could've been killed.

"Chihiro?"

She blinked, surfacing from the dark thoughts to look at him. Haku was still reaching for her, appealing with solemn green eyes. With wooden jerky movement she came across the room and let him collect her into his arms so she couldn't look anymore. Holding her closely he lay his head against her heart and breathed a deep slow sigh of utter exhaustion. Tucked between his knees Chihiro pressed against the warm length of his body and tried to focus on just holding him. It became increasingly hard not to think. Her head was on all wrong. Memories and understandings slid back and forth through her mind on two separate tracks that she couldn't quite click together. She couldn't seem to reconcile the four months she'd spent in Tokyo with the forgotten month of August. It upset her more and more as she tried. Breathing a shuddering breath she shoved it all down deep into a distant hidden place to deal with later. There should've been nothing but silence inside her head after that but there wasn't.

Distantly she could still hear their screams.

Her stomach seized because they sounded so very… _human!_

She could still smell the smoke.

It was making it hard for her to breathe.

"Chihiro?"

Again Haku murmured her name, so very gently and this time obviously worried. She barely noticed as his hands slid to her face. The tight dried blots on her skin seemed to burn beneath his finger. She tore away feeling like a fool hurriedly waving a hand at her nose like it explained everything.

"I'm still covered in...!"

She couldn't say it. She couldn't speak it out loud. Chihiro didn't want him to touch her when she was covered in blood. Again his luminous gaze told her everything he was thinking. His eyes filled with compassion as he patiently accepted her rejection. Somehow he knew and understood what she was feeling. He told her so and reassured her all without speaking a word.

Chihiro stared at him stupidly trying to reconcile this sudden stranger with the Haku from that forgotten month. The Haku she knew and remembered was infuriatingly aloof and purposefully cryptic. He was so beautiful he hurt to look at. As a God he loved her with an intense and frightening passion that she found difficult to bare even after he'd chosen to become mortal. That Dragon God was worlds away from the endearingly odd, cripplingly awkward, poverty-stricken dancer who humbly scrubbed dishes for a living in Ueno Park. Kou was so very warm and empathetic. He was sincere and troublingly transparent.

How could they be the same person?!

They were so drastically different!

The confusion and uncertainty were too much. It nearly broke the wall she built to hold back all the hell this day. Behind that day was also the hell of all the other days before. Spinning away before she could snap she hurried to pick up the things she'd dropped. She wanted a shower. She wanted to scrub off all the muck and filth. She wanted it all to wash away. Bringing back the sundries she tore at the tie of her yukata and only succeeded in pulling it into a snarled knot. Picking at it in tense frustration she winced and realized her fingers were burned and blistered from the fire arrows. She cringed as they smarted, again struck to stillness as she stared at the dark blue bruise coloring her left arm.

Where had that come from?!

Panic swam in her pulse once again making it difficult to breath.

Silently Haku saved her from herself. He caught her by the obi and gently towed her close. Wilting with gratitude she watched his nimble fingers pick out the mess she'd made of the knot. Slowly the tension coiled up inside her heart began to change as unhurriedly he eased the band from around her waist. Chihiro shivered as it gaped at the front, allowing his hands to slip inside. Reaching with slow careful movements Haku ran his hands inside the part in the fabric, ghosting his fingers across the bare skin of her shoulders as he carefully drew the robe free, letting it fall to pool at her heels.

Warmth ignited where his fingers brushed.

Chihiro closed her eyes at the sensation and pulled in a ragged breath.

It was easier to enjoy this if she kept her eyes closed.

She couldn't stare at his sores thinking how much they must hurt.

He stood with trembling difficulty, guiding her hands on the loops of his sash. She pulled and it gave easily. Something clattered at their feet as his kimono dropped, slipping against her shins as it fell. Chihiro stared down at the dragon mask only to be distracted as their bare flesh hovered so close to touching. Her aching hands itched to touch him especially as the smell of warm rain soak through the space between them; but more rousing was the fact that beneath it hummed the scent of musky male sweat. That was surprisingly new. In response a tight aching stab of lust thrilled deep in her stomach as the heat rolled between them. She forgot everything in that moment and was slightly disappointed that when he finally touched her it was only to put his arm around her waist so he could guide her to the showers.

The surrounding barely registered as they paused to sidle through the frosted glass slider, stepping down onto the dark green tiles into the row of faucets and hand showers installed in the wall. (1) She jolted as water roared. The sound echoed deafeningly, pouring off the vaulted ceiling even as it poured out of the spigot, dripping down and eroding her thoughts with its lulling persistent hush. She breathed in he cloying steam as it billowed around them, enveloping them in a misty veil. Haku turned the valve and they both gasp as the hot water hissed through the shower head hooked to the wall, dousing them in a burning continuous spray.

Chihiro moaned.

It felt so very good!

She turned herself until she stood beneath the full force of the water, lifting her chin as it soaked her completely; washed over her cheeks; streaming through her muddy hair; ticking its way down her naked legs. Hurriedly filling her hands with soap from the pump bottle on the shelf above the spigot Chihiro soused every inch of herself in a foaming coat of clean-smelling bubbles. Shampooing her hair she scrubbed, rinsed, and repeated only to finally realize Haku was no longer holding her up. Wiping the water and the soap from her eyes she glanced aside and found him beneath the spray of the neighboring faucet.

He had already attacked himself with soap as was evident by the foaming carpet of bubbles at his feet. Bent beneath the spray of the faucet he braced his hands against the wall and hung his head. The muscles of his powerful arms and shoulders bunched and rippled, etched in perfect detail beneath the pale membrane of his soft skin. His broad shoulders tapered to a smooth stomach and narrow hips. She could've looked at his long legs forever. They seemed to go on and on and on.

Every inch of him was carved from hard flesh that could've been some kind of white stone; marble or alabaster; something museum-ish. It was the God in him. He was so beautiful it was almost unreal. But then Haku surfaced with a soft gasp, his arms trembled slightly as he struggled to right himself. It was such a human sound full of pain tempered by relief. Chihiro's insides scrambled, tripping and falling over themselves in a hurried mess of unsettling emotions. Still she stared as he straightened with a languid sigh, stretching to his full height and he tipped back his head to run his hands over his face, clearing the short fringe of hair from his eyes. He stared overhead with such a troubled expression Chihiro hardly noticed that the bruises, cuts, and bites had faded. She was too busy pouring her eyes over him like the rippling water.

Heat flooded her face, stoking the hungry thoughts his naked body lit earlier.

Whoever he was, whatever he was, some things remained the same.

He was still so beautiful it hurt to look at him.

She wanted him now more than she'd ever wanted anything in her life.

* * *

 **Notes:**

(1) Ryokan and Onsen don't have individual showers installed in their guest rooms. The newer ones have an attached sink and toilet but the older ones done. All of these are found in the communal bath. These are segregated by sex. This is usually a changing room with sinks attached by a door to a large high ceiling tiled room with a row of faucets and hand showers installed in a row. Generally there is also a large adjacent pool for soaking and sometime a door to an outside pool if you're lucky. Be forewarned, sometime the rotenburo (outside pool) are communal and both men and women can be present.

There's no privacy because nudity in bathing form isn't taboo in Japanese society. You sit on a stool next to your neighbor and wash up then rinse with the hand shower or by filling a bucket under the tap and dumping it over your head repeatedly. You can also hook the hand shower into one of two wall mounts for a traditional hands free shower. Once you're clean then you go soak in the pool. Generally you wash again after you get out. The result is a stunning super-clean feeling I sorely miss.


	50. Chapter 50

**HAKU**

The water did them both a deal of good.

He withdrew his hands as Chihiro all but lunged for the soap.

Haku let her go, turning to his ablutions. Slowly he lost himself in the hot water. Even as it washed the gore from his skin the heat permeated deeper, touching a vibrating thread in his blood. The water was piped directly from the same vein that fed the hot springs beneath O-Inari-sama's camphor tree. It was a sacred combination and the kiss of healing magic tingled deep in his wounds. Bowing beneath the spray and planting his hands firmly on the cold tiles of the wall he endured the strange stinging nibbles. The aching stitch in his side eased as did the throbbing points of pain that lingered where the spiders bit him.

Taking a deep breath he surfaced with a gasp of relief, pushing back the wet curtain of hair plastered to his brow. Whereas a moment ago he felt near to death now he was reinvigorated. He stretched with a sigh feeling the water's heat ease the thousand knots tensed all over his body. All the aching hurts faded and he was left marveling in their absence. Physical pain had comprised so much of his existence until this moment he was left staring overhead at the distant rafters of Onsen's roof trembling in relief. He stared as awe tightened his chest, reminding him he was alive as he struggled to breathe the hot moist air.

Blinking rapidly, Haku's thoughts derailed as a strange premonition skated across his skin. Glancing to his side he found Chihiro watching him shyly. Hugging stomach as if cold, she stood in the spray of her showerhead looking so very small and vulnerable. The ruse of her fragility broke before his eyes as silver seeped back into her hair and eyes as she soaked up the latent magic in carried in the water. Oblivious to the change, she was too caught up in the emotions working their way through her face in that moment.

Confusion, fear, affection, and awe; but holding sway over them all was desire. Powerful wanting registered hungrily in her silver eyes as she looked at him. Heat flooded him in response to that simple glance, surging through his veins with a powerful aching need to match what her eyes had revealed. Hastily she looked away and went completely red in the face. A soft smile turned up the corners of his mouth as she flustered awkwardly only to sputter as water got in her eyes. How he loved her that moment. At once his world narrowed to only her.

He joined her under the curtain of water, blocking its persistent fall with the flat of his hand. She startled, jerking back against the opposite tiled wall blinking to clear her sight. Chihiro stared up at him with a water droplet hanging from the very tip of her nose, breathing a surprised gasp as the rosy color intensified in her cheeks. Again the need he felt for her sang in his blood with such forceful passion he was forced to place his hands on the wall at her sides to prevent his trembling knees from sending him crashing to a seat at her feet.

He lowered his mouth to beg of her lips.

Much to his relief she did not refuse him as she had earlier.

If anything she threw herself into him, lifting her face as their mouths met. Haku's insides rang with effervescent euphoria as they kissed. This kiss was the first truth they had shared in ages. Kissing her now was like being able to breathe again after nearly drowning. An indescribable sensation of release bloomed in his heart. It crept from him in a quiet sob, spilling against her lips as he closed the distance between them.

Silky water washed over them warming their bare skin.

Steam choked in an obscuring veil, transforming the room to another world.

The hush of water hissed in his ears, rippling over his shoulders, pouring between them. Haku shivered in pleasure as her sweet small breasts slid against his stomach, crushed between them as he pressed her back against the wall. Still the hot wet element rushed over them. Her belly burned against his and he could feel the furious beat of her heart as it drummed on his stomach wall. Chihiro made small desperate sounds as he kissed her again and again. Her hands grasped his sides, pulling demandingly as her nails bit into his flesh.

He gasped as pain and pleasure became confused in that moment. The tight throbbing ache between his legs intensified until it caused him physical pain. He hurt from wanting her closer; he hurt from the memories of what had happened between them before now. Once, only once they had been together as they were now. He still regretted how his inexperience had caused their first moment's imperfection. The second they had embraced in dreams as strangers; the third in half-remembrances as acquaintances. But now they joined as two halves of the same soul brought together once more. He could not seem to touch enough of her skin; he could he sate the hunger raging inside his blood with her kisses alone.

Wedging his hands between her back and the wet wall, he clasped the slick rounded flesh of her flanks and lifted Chihiro higher. She inhaled with sharp surprise as her feet left the floor; her arms locked her arms around his neck, legs hooked around his hips, ankles knotting. She was not heavy and he easily pinned her there with the crush of his body. Her hands, however, slapped against his wet back and struck in him a moment of clarity in the storm of their fervor. At once ashamed of hasty advances Haku stilled, holding her close as he breathed her name hesitantly against her shoulder.

"Chihiro?"

"Don't stop," She sighed hurriedly over the rush of water.

Haku blinked. She had been adamantly against unprotected union until now.

"But…?"

He trailed off as she moved against him, urging him on with such persuasion. It was then that she raked his skin with her nails, dragging them up either side of his spine. Haku gasped, clinging to her half afraid he might drop her as again explosions of painful pleasure erupted beneath his skin. He reveled in the sting as ecstasy sang in its fiery wake. The opposite feelings pulled him in two. They drove him to distraction, transforming his racing pulse to fire. He turned his face into her wet hair as his senses swam. Slowly Haku urged his body against hers. She trembled with anticipation even as he shook with restraint. Slowly he drew himself closer and closer. The sweet tight slide of her warmth overtook him with such stunningly swiftness. He had not expected it and cried out in surprise.

Chihiro swallowed the sound as she threw her mouth against his. Humming happily, she clenched her knees at his sides and eagerly rocked her body. Stunning feeling blinded him of all thought. He rebounded through the tide of pleasure she broke over him, throwing his hips against hers again and again as he hurried to match the pace of her enthusiasm. All the while such the familiar mounting premonition crept over him like dawn warming the eastern sky.

The first rays of its light struck him down such pleasure.

His knees crumbled.

Gracelessly he sat down hard scrambling to keep her with him.

"Apologies!" He gasped in dismay, "It is too much to stand!"

Chihiro laughed, loud and fair.

She lost none of her enthusiasm as she sat up over him, kissing him lightly.

"Then don't stand."

Then she swayed her hips, sending him arching backwards beneath the rain of the showers as his eyes wrenched shut. His back splashed into the puddles on the tiled floor as he writhed clutching her knees. Lacing her hands through his she held them tightly.

"Look at me, Kouhaku."

The sound of his true name brought tears to his eyes.

Not long ago he feared he would never hear it again.

There was nothing he could deny her with his name on her lips.

Tear ran down his cheeks, becoming lost in the water from the shower as he opened his eyes and looked up at her. Again she became otherworldly as she rocked above him, rising over him like the sun as the hazy ceiling light showing through the thick steam. She eclipsed it but her eyes remained eerily luminous in the shadows.

Never loosing the slow sinuous rhythm with which she pitched up and down over him, quickening her pace until strangely she stilled. Chihiro tipped back her head and blinked rapidly as if surprised to see something she thought was much further away. Light spilled around her head from the lamp eclipsed behind her. Haku caught her in that moment, rolling until he lay atop her, once again driving into her with an abandon he had never before dared. As she clung to him her breath sang in his ears, demanding more and more over the wet slap of flesh against flesh.

His insides rang with triumph as she arched against the tiles.

Chihiro threw back her head and screamed with pleasure

Little earthquakes shook them in that moment. They rattled him over precipice of astonishing feeling. For a moment, a brief tiny sliver of a second, the boundaries between them ceased to exist and he spilled forward into the blinding brightness of her existence. They crashed together like waves; melding; mixing in a confusing churning whirlpool of surprised intensity. But as the rivers of their souls mingled Haku nearly drowned in the surging currents of their love.

Then the moment was gone.

He found himself gasping for breath on the tiled floor pelted with water from. Haku felt his skin tingle against Chihiro's as he lay atop her dizzy with fulfillment. Hands curled to either side of her head, Chihiro's eyes were still slightly unfocused as she blinked through the spray and looked up at him as if amazed. Her expression kindled a tiny flame of pride in his heart. He relished in the knowledge that he had brought her to pleasure. He was no longer a stranger to his body or hers. No God could know her as he knew her now. A God would not even know how.

He knew; he knew only too well.

Rolling beside her so she might catch her breath he propped his head in his palm and drank her in with his eyes. As she continued to stare with wordless amazement Haku poured over her all his love. Shielding her from the spray of water he smoothed the wet hair from her face. Taking one of her hands he pressed it to his chest.

He could feel the swift beat of his heart as it drummed in her fingers.

Haku smiled, slow and exultant until it felt as if he was floating.

" _Okaeri nasi, itoshii hito._ Welcome home, dear one."

* * *

 **CHIHIRO**

Clean and soaked through with warmth she lazed on the bench in the dressing room. Wrapped in a fresh yukata and still soaked through with warmth from the hot water, Chihiro hummed happily. Haku drew the comb through her wet hair, careful teasing out all the knots until the teeth slid through completely unobstructed. She could feel the warmth radiating from him as he continued brushing, making her tilt her head back and lean into him.

He just picked up the comb and started brushing her hair.

She didn't even have to ask or explain.

It was such a small thing, but it was so very normal.

It was so very human.

Chihiro sighed for what felt like the billionth time.

"I love having my hair brushed."

"So I see," Haku murmured demurely.

She could hear the smile in his voice. At once she was dozing, leaning back into him exhausted and sated in so many ways. She barely noticed as he helped her up, leading her to the sink before putting a tooth brush in her hand. She accepted it mutely, surfacing from sleepiness to watch Haku brush his own teeth with vigor. At once she was wide awake gawking with wonder.

He was so… So human!

At the same time he was so very Haku.

Who else would hide their mouth behind their hand when they spit? Daintily he took a mouthful of water with his hands to tilt his head back and gargle. She blinked at the loud ungainly noise he made, struggling not to giggle. As she did she noticed the tie of his indigo yukata was done all wrong. He'd tucked it up all wrong too and it gaped at the front, leaving his chest and stomach bare. Not that she minded the view. Heat flooded her cheeks, making her smile wider and wider as she noticed the short thick fringe of his inky-green-blue hair was beginning to dry at an odd angle. He'd have a terrible cowlick in the morning. She resisted the urge to reach up and smooth it down.

Suddenly his dazzling eyes strayed sideways to her.

Chihiro's insides thrilled as her heart squeezed up into her throat.

They were still the eyes of a God.

Eerie bright and sparkling like an emerald river caught in the sunlight.

Flushing darkly, he ceased gargling, shifting awkwardly.

Again he spit daintily, drying his mouth on his yukata sleeve.

"You seem intent on watching me," Haku murmured shyly.

"S-sorry," hastily she looked away as heat intensified in her cheeks, "It's just… It feels like I haven't seen you in years."

It'd been half a year, actually.

It had been almost six months since Sengen cursed her into forgetting.

The loss of time was as stunning as it was upsetting.

Quickly she joined him at the sink and brushed her teeth to keep herself from blurting more stupid things. He watched her in silence as she spit and rinsed her mouth. Once she was done she gripped the edge of the sink as her eyesight blurred. Gently he laced his arms around her waist, leaning against her until his cheek came to rest on the crown of her head. As he held her she tried not to look at him in the reflection, staring instead at her hands only to realize her bruise and the burns were gone. It made it increasingly difficult not to think about everything else.

"In the morning this is going to start all over again."

It wasn't a question.

She already knew the answer.

He wouldn't lie to her even though she wanted him to.

"Yes." Haku hushed disconsolately as his arms tightened.

Calm came creeping through her in that moment; sad and solemn but resigned all the same. Even though he'd welcomed her home she knew with startling certainty they wouldn't be here for long. She hated the premonition with a childish vehemence.

"Can we be selfish tonight?" Chihiro appealed quietly, "Can we just go up to bed and pretend like everything's okay even though its not?"

She squealed as he scooped her up into his arms without another word.

Chihiro knotted her hands around his neck as he carried her out of the bath wing and up the dark front stairs. Cold pressed in on them as they left behind the steamy warmth of the bath wing, emanating through the walls and floor all the more intensely in the absolute quiet. She shivered as Haku paused on the top landing. Glancing up at him she found him gritting his jaw. An unnerved expression tightened his handsome face. His wide eyes stared askance at the door to her room.

It was closed, clotting the hall with dark shadows.

"May we sleep in the office?" He hushed "I can never sleep in that room again."

Chihiro blinked and nodded hastily.

That room held way too much history now, most of it bad.

As he set her on her feet she barely resisted the urge to hold onto his sleeve. She didn't want to let him go. As they came into the office and closed the door Onsen drowsed overhead. The house lit a flickering wick in one of the lanterns. No light filtered through the aged yellow lace curtains in the window. These did little to keep out the cold. Chihiro shivered violently as her breath ghosted in the air.

At once Haku went still, staring at the desk. Chihiro frowned at it in confusion because everything was arranged on the right side, leaving the left oddly bare. The desk was a mess. It took her a second to realize that Lin had taken over the work here. Papers were haphazardly stacked here and there, bristling like quills in the vertical cubbies and bins. Most were computer printed bills on which replies had been written in messily painted ink calligraphy. A huge ledger book lay open to a date that had long since passed. Its pages were blotted with stains. Brushes with bristled stained red and black lay in a rest beside a dry ink stone.

Other papers were tucked between the pages of the open book; too pretty to be bills, the pages were gilded and decorated by hand. The calligraphy on these was different from the small exacting handwriting on the bills. The sweeping strokes were alive with feeling. It was Suzume's handwriting. She was sure of it. Creeping forward she began to read on only to realize it was a love poem. Heat surged into her face as sorrow flooded her chest, making her throat close with pain as she threw her eyes away. Turning on her heel she fled from the table. Not ready to confront its truths she stumbled to the closet.

Haku joined her. Together they pulled out the futons and quilts stored there, making a narrow bed tucked against the opposite wall. Gracelessly Chihiro flopped to the floor and clambered beneath the covers, pulling them over her head and shivering violently as Haku joined her. He sighed heavily; nuzzling the top of her head and tightening his arms around her making her insides go white hot with affection. The bedding warmed, holding in the heat of their bodies. Onsen withdrew, letting the lantern dwindle into dark.

Quiet pressed down on them with the same physical presence as the cold. Slowly Haku's arms grew heavy. He relaxed beside her and immediately fell asleep. But she couldn't sleep, not with him so close after having missed him for so long. She listened to the quiet whisper of his breath as it tickled the top of her head. He twitched and wiggled his toes, letting out a long gusty sigh, making her grin to the point where her cheeks hurt. But the grin turned grim as she struggled with the sorrow that bloomed in her heart like a draft of cold.

Was it so terrible to ask for this?

Him: in her arms; asleep beside her.

Hadn't they survived and suffered through enough to get here?

Apparently not.

Chihiro would've thrown a tantrum. She would've shook her fists and jumped up and down like a little brat yelling about it how wasn't fair. It was creepy strange to realize she wasn't that person anymore. Chihiro had disappeared the moment she'd woken up on the stones beneath Sengen's Bridge. There was no place in a world of monsters and magic for a spoiled whiney human girl and her silly stories; just like there was no place in that world for the shy humble dishwasher who happened to dance like a dragon.

She wished she understood what he was talking about when he told her he had so little to offer. It was hard not to remember the way he'd looked at her in his apartment, so afraid and unsure and so damn cute. If anything she was the one who didn't have anything to offer. Everything had its price. For her he'd given up the sky. He'd given up immortality. For him she'd given up the right to a normal human life. Somehow that did seem enough, like she'd cheated him somehow.

Her heart squeezed to the point of breaking as she considered that. Even as pain swelled in her chest it burst, flooding there with a strange calm that washed through her insides flowing down the road that opened up before her. Suddenly she wasn't afraid because this journey belonged to both of them. Knowing that gave her the strength to accept she wouldn't be home for long. They'd walk this road together.

Trying not to think about that anymore Chihiro cuddled closer to Haku.

Listening to the slow even beat of his heart was the only reason she fell asleep.

* * *

 **LIN**

Dark crushed down them whole as they crossed back into the Spirit World.

But the magic crawling across her skin brought no comfort this time.

Wind shrieked through the broken windows tangling through her matted hair. Sparks hissed in their wake, kicked up in whirling crackles from the rusted tracks as screeching black mushi fled up the walls in angry tides of flickering red as the ancient train lumbered onward. Speed revived the piece of metal junk. In a flickering pop buzzing fluorescent lights crackled to life overhead illuminating the growing pool of red on the floor.

As the terrible reek of blood stunted her smell Lin screwing her eyes shut and clenched her teeth until it felt like they might shatter. She uttered a strangled sob bordering on a snarl as the contraction finally passed. They were coming closer and closer now.

Utterly exhausted Lin sagged against Kiri as the spider returned from the control room. She had to bend to not hit her head on the ceiling. A stab of surprise sent Lin crowding over the still unconscious human as if she could hide her. Bah-Fuh hastily clambered out of Shurui's way as the spider stepped over the dying God woman like she was a piece of trash. Ignoring all of them she tracked more bloody footprints across the floor, bending to riffle with her many hands under the adjacent seat. She dragged a box from under the seat with one hand while commanding the back door open with another.

The box was old by human standards. Burned into the wood planks were words Lin didn't know: grenades. All kinds of human detritus spilled across the bloody floor as she cracked the case; rotting olive clothing; a rusted metal hat rattled with holes; all of which stank of human chemicals, fire, and old death. Fetching from the case a corroded black canisters one for each pair of her hands the spider pulled pins atop each and hurled them out the back door.

"Get down!" Shurui commanded ominously.

Lin blinked, sitting up to stare after the orbs in confusion only to shriek as a massive explosion detonated in their wake. Petrifying terror froze her in place as human fire bloomed in their wake. Orange, yellow, and stinking of horrible chemicals it surged forward in a searing wall of blistering heat that burned across her eyes and face. She threw up her only hand, staring around her fingers as the belligerent roar of falling rocks bellowed behind them. It poured down from above in a cascade of crushing black, smothering the flames as the tunnel collapsed.

Still she stared as jets of flame, soot, and shrapnel hurled toward them.

Her heart still in her chest as everything seemed to go quiet.

Lin knew with terrible certainty there would be no back tracking now.

There was no escape just like there was no way for Suzume to follow.

All she could do was move forward hoping he would find her somehow.

Something crushed her against the seat yanking her from the mire of her thoughts as the shock wave smashed into the car. It took Lin a moment to realize it was Shurui. The spider woman shielded them as glass windows overhead obliterated, spaying over them in a cascade of sharp shards. Her stomach flipped in terror as the car jittered on the tracks, rattling in a squealing skittering screech of sparks as if it might leap from the tracks. Hands tightened on her to the point of pain until the shimmies stilled. Once again the clicking rhythm of the rails was the only sound in Lin's ringing ears. The stink of smoke cleared, growing farther and farther away as Shurui straightened. The spider's two pairs of crimson eyes glaring down at her with a baffling mixture of concern and anger as several of her many hands tightened on Lin's kimono.

"Fool!" The spider grated through sharp teeth, "You could've been killed!"

Rage boiled in Lin's gut making her only hand ball into a fist against. Before she could spit in her captor's face and punch her square in the nose Bah-Fuh gracelessly sprawled onto the floor making them jolt against the rotting seat. Shurui straightened, gazing down at the bat with open disgust as the blind creature slipped and clambered in the pool of blood ecstatically smearing herself with red. Snuffling her wet claws in frantic intensity the bat threw back her head with an ecstatic gasp, blinking milky sightless eyes and trembled spasmodically.

"I see Kubi's death, Shurui," Bah-Fu announced in a panic, "We need her alive."

The spider's face hardened with frozen hate as she glanced at the fading God woman. Paler than pale, she had begun to fade, lying like a transparent ghost in the red of her blood. Throwing her eyes out the shattered windows Shurui studied the faceless walls skimming by as if they meant something. Lin blinked as words skimmed by written in paint so faded and pocked with age she could barely read them in the gloom. Kan'ei Temple Cavern was painted in gold only to be crossed out by lines of red. Below it, written far less grandly, was the name Ueno Park.

"We're almost to there. She'll live long enough to ring the bell."

As Shurui turned her back on them dismissively somehow the bat caught at hem of the spider's black kimono with her wet claws.

"We need her to live. You will need her, but most of all, Garuda will need her."

Bah-Fuh's words brought the spider to stillness. Tainted magic crackled in the air as Shurui whirled and revealed the demon within her. Hate bleed out of her like a poison, hollowing her with fury as she filled the car with her full height, baring fangs as her red eyes burned with livid fire.

 _"I am Garuda's hands, bat! I am EVRYTHING he needs!"_

Shurui thundered wrathfully, heedlessly spitting acid. Kubi didn't even flinch as a fleck burned through the fabric of her bloody kimono. Kiri jumped, stirring again as a blot of venom hit her kimono only to burn through the fabric. Lin slapped at it only to cringe over the human as the spider struck the thin metal walls with her many fists making it shimmy dangerously.

As panic surged in her chest Lin tightened her hand on Kiri ready to haul her up and out of the way only to be reminded once again there wasn't anywhere to go. The spider's display was lost on the bat. Bah-Fuh cringed from the God woman's shouts, clamping her hands over her quivering telescopic ears. Blindly groping her way back to the seat the kami tripped on the leathery membranes of her useless wings.

"Blood doesn't lie, Shurui." Bah-Fuh returned with absolute certainty, "I have seen her. I have seen her in Heian-kyo."

The spider blinked rapidly as bat's revelations seemed to hit her physically. Again her red eyes dropped to Kubi, more than conflicted this time. Fading back to her mortal guise the spider stood trembling with outraged as her disarranged hair blew in the wind, struggling to speak every word.

"She betrayed us, bat… She stole Garuda from us… And now when finally I've managed to strike her down you want me to save her life!?"

Bah-Fuh licked one of her bloody claws hands absently and muttered a cryptic reply that made Lin's head hurt.

"You'll kill her eventually, Shurui. Does now or later really matter?"

Even as Shurui glared at the bat one of many hands searched inside her kimono. Begrudging every move the spider produced a pouch and unceremoniously dumped the entire contents onto the thorn of silk still lodged in Kubi's chest. Caught up in the wind the grains blew and scattered across the floor only to soak into the thick blood.

It was salt.

Shurui turned her back on them as the spear of silk dissolved in gouts of white smoke that went hissing from the God woman's chest. The sacred element continued to burn mending the damage that it had inflicted below; but not without cost. Kubi's eyes flicked open at once perfectly round and unfocused with acute pain that twisted her face into a terrible mask of suffering.

Lin squirmed and could only stare incredulously as the stranger went rigid as a board but didn't so much as make a single gasp. She couldn't fathom how the woman could stand to stay silent. Lin knew how salt could burn. It was the only thing that saved her when the Forgotten took her arm and most of her face. She would've been screaming off her head if it'd been her on the ground. Fighting through the pain, Kubi blinked rapidly as her sharp silver eyes darted around the train. They sharpened as they fell on her, skating aside to take in Kiri only to return.

Whoever this stranger was at least she was smart. That much was apparent from the shrewd look in her colorless eyes. God woman's brow drew in wordless question as they continued to stare at each other. Lin shook her head furtively, flashing her eyes towards Shurui. Hate flooded the stranger kami's face as she stared at the spider the corners of her eyes. That was all it took for Lin to count this woman as a potential ally.

"I suppose you have nothing more useful to tell me, bat?"

Shurui called back irritably from the head of the train where she bent and squeezed into the control room almost comically. They began to slow as the spider extricated herself from the tiny room. The bat made a distasteful moue as again she licked her hands.

"Not through her. Her blood is too weak. But that oni collar is interesting. The dogs used something similar on me in Shitamachi. She'll do anything you say as long as you're holding the leash."

Lin blinked in surprise even though Shurui wasn't impressed. Peering through the shattered windows at the front of the car the spider studied the tracks ahead as if searching for something.

"Is that how they kept you? Huh… Well, you'll have all the kami blood you can stand soon enough."

Not at all satisfied with that promise the bat's sightless gaze drifted back to them. Lin's skin scrawled as Bah-Fuh snuffled the air, licking her wet red nose before grinning sharp yellowed teeth. Her ears swiveled rapidly as avarice gathered to glimmer in the kami's milky eyes. Disquiet lined Kubi's face as she fixed her eyes on the bat the way someone looked at a dog that had bitten them once before.

"You only need the boy, Shurui," Bah-Fuh wheedled forcefully as she sidled closer still swiveling her ears, "Give me the girl child and I'll be able to see everything ahead of us from this life into the next…"

It took Lin a moment to realize they were talking about the kits.

Cold terror poured through her bones at the realization.

That's what they took her.

That's why Kuromi and Ristuko were so careful not to hurt her.

Shurui wanted her children!

Instinct took over as the train squealed to a stop. Lin was on her feet with her heart hammering in her throat. Without thinking she leapt out the back door only to run. Holding her bell she sprinted as fast as she could away from the car. Struggled across the threshold of the burning pools of light spilling from the train's rear.

She didn't get far beyond that.

Chittering swells of black mushi poured down the walls in terrifying waves. The scuttling carpet of legs descended with snapping and mouths and claws. Lin hastily back tracked into the safety of the light cast by the train's humming electric bulbs. Cold sweat poured down her spine as they flooded around her just beyond the edge of the light, scrambling sideways into the unobstructed light as a shadow fell across her from behind.

"Come back inside, weasel woman."

Lin barely heard Shurui. Her heart was hammering in her ears too loudly. The spider woman was almost apologetic again. That only made Lin even more furious. Defiantly she paced the edge of the dark searching for some way out; but ahead of her was a sea of shifting glowing red eyes that burned and blinked like embers in the dark. At her back lay a far more terrible fate.

"Something tells me you didn't give you arm up willingly."

Shurui again called after her patiently.

"You found a way to survive even as it was taken from you. I can't lie to you. I am going to take your son. I will keep the human as well. In exchange I will let you keep your daughter and you will be free to go."

Blankly Lin stared ahead at the swarm of mushi as her knees trembled beneath the approach of another seizing contraction. It was the spider's offer that sent her to her knees on the cruel points of the gravel between the rusted tracks. Bent beneath the power of the approaching birth of her children, all she could see was the bloody pelts of her first litter stretched to dry on the snow along the edge of the village on the shore of Lake Shikaribetsu. She'd lost her children once before. To loose them again was unthinkable. Lin growled savagely beneath her breath as the thought nearly made her loose her grip.

"I'll _die_ before I let you take my son!"

Again the spider became sad but this time chillingly resolved.

"That is an option. If I must I will not hesitate to kill you and cut them out. You will die but I will still take your children. Know that I only want your son. What then will become of your daughter?"

Stunned Lin blinked and stared mutely as the spider turned her in circles.

Startled by a sudden gust of air she flattened herself against the ground as projectiles ripped out of the gloom. Shurui barely escaped being struck by a lance of silk. Bah-Fuh screeched as the shards shattered against the interior of the car. In the stunned silence a familiar voice spoke from somewhere in the shadows.

 _"The moment you leave that train I will not stop until you are dead."_

Lin gaped as Tomoe resolved out of the gloom like the ghost he was.

He flowed between her and the car

She'd totally forgotten about him!

Somehow he must have followed.

His jet eyes fixed on the car with lethal acuity as he pulled more spears of silk in his many hands. Somehow he'd sprouted four more to match the two he already had. He must've swallowed a spider somewhere long the way.

A bell rang; vibrating the inside of her bones with their terrible brass boom.

Tomoe, however, didn't seem to hear it.

 _"I am deaf to your music, spider."_

"You may be, ghost, but the weasel isn't."

With a screech Lin lurched to her feet against her will. Even as she fought the persuasion of the compelling ringing inside her ears she failed. The bell urged her on, made her lunge toward the dark and the boiling mushi. The only thing that kept her from pitching head first into the swarm was Tomoe. He snatched her back only to struggle with her, desperately trying not to hurt her even as she tried again and again at the command of the bells to throw herself into the hungry dark.

 _"Stop!"_ Tomoe shouted frantically, _"They will kill her!"_

"If I can't have the weasel's son she's of no use to me. I have waited this long. I am willing to wait to find another fox child. You can't fight me and save her, ghost. You will loose. I will loose as well."

The bell never ceased even as the spider spoke.

"I do not want to loose, ghost; so here are my terms. I will take the human, the weasel, and her children with me. She will be a better mother than I anyways. She may find some way to best me in the future. I cannot say for sure that it is impossible but at least there is a chance. You, however, may not accompany nor will you follow."

Suddenly the bell silenced and Lin sagged in Tomoe's frozen grip.

Gently, ever so gently, Tomoe her up in the staggering silence of its absence.

 _"Lin-sama?"_

She barely heard his distraught whisper.

She took a shuddering breath as Tomoe reluctantly withdrew.

Once again there no way out but forward, because the spider was right.

There was nothing she could do; not yet, at least.

Calmly she put her hand on her stomach and felt Umi's knife through her obi.

There was still a chance she could figure some way to save her children.

Closing her eyes Lin returned to the train.


	51. Chapter 51

**HAKU**

He woke with a jolt.

Shuddering violently he sat up with a strangled gasp.

It took him a moment to shake off the terrible nightmare. The roar of the angry earth still grounded at the inside his head. Helplessly he'd been forced to ride a gigantic wheel watching from on high as it crushed a tide of people beneath its spokes. Try as he might he could not turn its path aside and screams of terror and agony silenced under the wheel as it thundered by with merciless speed. Red stained the ground of an endless tunnel that seemed to stretch on into a web-choked hell full of fire and screaming.

It was only a dream, he assured himself.

Still, a bell of warning rang however distantly in his heart

Cold sweat chilled his body, piercing his heart with a shard of ice.

On the futon beside him Chihiro stirred and sighed. Looking down at her his insides stilled. Curled up facing him, her relaxed hands seemed to reach as they lay on the disarranged quilt. He studied her face in the dim gray light filtering through the yellowed lace curtains in the office. It illuminated the diamond fringe of her eyelashes, which lay like specks of ice against her pinked cheeks. Her starlight hair lay in a messy tangle on her buckwheat pillow.

He looked forward to brushing it out again.

Memories of last night burned away the apprehension that chased him from sleep. Unfortunately it also forced him wide awake. Haku's hands itched to touch her again; he longed to kiss her sweetly parted lips; he burned with the need to feel her beneath him. Haku feared that should he remain here for much longer he would be forced to wake her as she had woken him. That would not be prudent given the fact that he was not sure he could refuse her advances again. Better that he should rise and remove the temptation that they had already once indulged.

He carefully slipped out of their bed. Chihiro looked so very tired as she sighed; burrowing beneath the quilt like a little gray squirrel. His heart swelled until it exceeded him, making pricks sting his eyes as he rose. Haku straightened his yukata for she had all but undressed him. That brought a smirk to his lips, making him glance back at her again and again as awkwardly he paced the edge of the room. Not long ago he barely fit between these four walls; it seemed so much larger now. Strange that they should find their way back here; it was in this room they had first shared a bed.

Coming to the desk Haku gritted his jaw and forced himself to face the papers strewn across the surface. He pushed away the terrible emotions tightening his chest and instead frowned at the mess Lin had made of his records. Completely ignoring his organization system she stuffed receipts and notes into the ledger book until it was bulging with passengers. She had not washed the brushes either. Ink dried the bristles to solid lumps. What was worse she had atrocious calligraphy. Her ink was too dry; she had not mixed enough water. He could barely decipher the scratchy strokes.

Grief bleed through his detached criticisms like the fat blotches staining the desk top. It soaked him through until it blurred his sight and made him too heavy to stand. Down he sank onto the cushion at the desk. Pale with sympathy Onsen gathered in the oil lamp perched on the corner. Her concern intensified to a tiny flickering flame. In her trembling illumination Haku fell back on old habits. Work: that was how he survived the periodic storms of loneliness that brought torrential rain pouring down on Yubaba's Bath House. Again Haku drowned himself in the task before him lest he break into tears that might wake Chihiro.

Dumping the papers into a pile on the desk top, he emptied the ledger as well until the desk was even more of a mess. Into the sea of paper he plunged, sorting and tucking away sheet by sheet. Careful not to look at them, Haku gathered Lin's poems into the fold of a slip of clean white paper. Next he immersed himself in numbers; claiming his abacus from the drawer of the desk along with a fresh brush. He coaxed moisture from the frozen air, grinding and mixing ink in the red and black stained dish.

Back through time Haku turned the pages of the ledger, chasing the history of the last six months across the page through bills, payments, and receipts. With careful flicks he made crisp notes upon the pages, correcting Lin's math in red from time to time. The tiny beads of his abacus clicked back and forth in rapid succession sounding like hail on roof tiles as he turned through page after page. Distantly he admitted that Lin might not know how to keep books, but she had done more than well managing the ryokan their absence. They had generated a substantial profit through autumn, which had sustained them through the last month when they suddenly ceased to accept reservations.

Curiosity kindled as he discovered a book containing a long list of interested parties waiting to hear from them when again their doors opened. With a frown he tried to discover the reason they had suspended operations. Haku dropped his brush as he unbundled the December receipts. Black ink stained the bills for Mrs. Nikko's funeral services as it rolled down the slope of the page to clink against the ink dish. At once Haku was on his feet without realizing it. He stumbled back only to knock into the window making the frame rattle. The wind of his disquiet surged through the room billowing lace curtains; scattering papers; making Onsen's flame gutter and wink out. He stood in the dark quaking with misery as again death stole from him. First Karasu; then Mrs. Nikkou.

Clenching his fists, he fought the urge to scream.

"Haku?" Chihiro murmured sleepily.

Her voice jolted the room to stillness as his wind evaporated. Doors slammed shut over the storm brooding in his heart. He struggled to put up a calm front as she sat up in bed rubbing her eyes. Her messy hair was flat on one side and he smoothed at it unconsciously as he came to kneel beside the futon.

"Apologies, dear one. I did not mean to wake you."

"S'okay… Come back to bed?"

His false calm slipped as she tugged on his sleeve. It took every ounce of his strength to refuse.

"I… I cannot sleep, dear one. I am accustomed to rising early."

It was not entirely a lie.

"Oh," She blinked blearily, obviously still half asleep, "Kay."

He kissed her lightly as she absently tipped up her chin. As if satisfied she flopped over and claimed his pillow, hugging it as if she had mistaken it for him. He was in grave danger of betraying himself now. His throat constricted to the point where he could not speak. He fled their bedside, moving like a ghost, slipping out a crack in the door. Haku stood in the hall for a moment struggling for calm as again an errant wind issued from him against his will. The morning was bitter cold and his frayed breath blew from his lips in a fan of white. With aching slowness the riot in his heart calmed and stilled as he forced himself to take breath after shaking breath.

Finally centered he frowned at the sound of distant voices. Following them toward the back hall he glanced out the windows and blinked. It was snowing lightly. The God Wing loomed like a distant shadow through the curls of while piling in drifts on the roof and gables. Not a light glimmered in the buildings windows. It was far too early for work. Who then was awake? Silently flowing down the back hall he came to listen at the top of the back stairs.

It was Kenka. His human friend was more than upset. Haku's attention sharpened as a strange yet familiar voice answered him. It was a young girl. The cold prick of apprehension crystallized in Haku's heart as he realized he did not know her but had heard her speak before. Memories of last night bobbed to the surface of his memory as he listened to her voice. They continued to talk as he crept down stairs silently.

"Do you have anyone you care for in Akasaka or Ueno?"

"Y-yeah?"

"Tell them to stay away."

"Why?!"

"There will be war in the caverns."

"Shitamachi and Uguisudani?"

The name of the subterranean God cities on the human's lips spilled Haku down into the kitchen in a rush. It was still strewn with rubble and the remnants of the door that had saved their lives. Chouchin hovered over Kenka's head illuminating him with a spotlight of buttery white light. The human's shoulders were bunched as he bent wearing a stricken expression. There were dark smudged beneath his eyes as if he had not slept all night. Stubble touched his chin and cheeks with a shadow that made him look gaunt. As if he had nothing more the human wore an indigo yukata and matching happi coat. Warily Onsen crackled in the corner hearth as if keeping watch. Haku quickly understood why. The spider sat in the nook opposite Kenka. Of all things they were drinking tea.

* * *

 **CHIHIRO**

Chihiro roused as something small climbed up into the middle of her back. The sound of purring intensified as tiny feet kneaded her shoulders. It would've been a nice sound to wake up to if she had wanted to wake up. She didn't. Ignoring the sound she tried to go back to sleep. Unfortunately even through all the blankets the razor tips of claws pricked at her skin making her wince. Finally a cold wet nose snuffled her ear making her squeal and recoil. The tiny weight dissolved as she curled up under the blankets trying to hide from further assault. She held her breath as hands shook her, patting at the blankets as Cinna's quiet voice murmured in a hurried hush.

"Neh? Neh, kiddo? Wake up, neh?"

Chihiro threw back the blankets and sat up with an angry sigh. Her eyes were full of sand and her face felt puffy. Rubbing the corner of her eye she glared at the cat only to come up short at the stared at her with wide solemn red eyes brimming with tears. Her velvet black ears were flattened to her head as she sat on the edge of her futon hunched holding her tail as if for comfort. Again she spoke in the barest whisper as she jerked her head toward Mrs. Nikko's room.

"T'dumb fox's cryin'… Aye cun 'ear him."

That took a moment as that sank in. Blinking rapidly scrambled up and hurriedly fixed her yukata. She shivered violently in the frigid morning air and her feet burned with cold on the bare floor boards. Cinna darted ahead of her slipping out a crack in the slider. Chihiro followed staring down the dark hall to find the cat flattened to the ground peering under the closed slider at the top of the stairs. Slowly Cinna's tail bristled out as her ears pricked. Creeping up beside the cat struggling not to make a sound Chihiro listened at the door. Inside she heard the barest whimper. It was the sound a dog might make when in pain.

A rice rope festooned with bits of folded paper was draped across the doorway as if barring entrance. All the same Chihiro bent under the line to squeeze through a crack in the slider. Onsen's anxious presence hung over the room like a thick smoke. Even though the thick curtains were drawn blocking all the warming dawn light at once her eyes shot to the funerary altar set up against the east facing wall. Cordoned in more rice ropes brisling with carefully folded fragile strips of white paper, on the table offerings of flowers, mochi, and piles of fruit made tiny mountains of sweet smelling color lost in the dark. At the heart of the altar Mrs. Nikko's picture stood on a dais illuminated by a score of tiny candles with flickering blue fox flames. Her smiling face was young and her eyes sparkled with a light that remained all her life and then followed her into the next.

Suzume growled as Chihiro closed the door before Cinna could creep in after her. Occupying its usual spot a small ball of white fur tucked into a tight ball at the foot of her bed. The fox lifted his head and flattened his white ears, glaring with flashing gold eyes as his lips pulled back to reveal sharp white teeth. Ignoring his warning she came over and sat beside him, pulling him into her lap even as he snarled and struggled. His angry protests grew weaker and weaker as she held him tightly even as his claws scratched. He even bit her once but his teeth never broke skin. Slowly he stilled, panting in a whimpering wheeze as he grew heavier and heavier in her arms.

The sound changed to quiet sobs as he transformed. At once he was wearing his human guise, hair still a chopped off mess and clothes a confused mish-mash of old and new. Suzume cried like any other human. Normally this would've _seriously_ freaked her out but already the strange creeping calm was soaking her through with eerie clarity. The fox was angry and impatient but that was because he was a God. He knew with an infuriating sureness things she couldn't even begin to comprehend. That sourceless confidence could make him a conceited jerk. The only times she'd seen him confused or uncertain was when it came to Lin or Reika. Now that both were gone Suzume unraveled. Truth poured out of him with startling frankness. As it did he laid his thoughts bare before her.

"I… I am so afraid, Chihiro..."

She tightened her arms around his shoulders, tucking up her knees and hugging him as he sagged in her lap.

"I… I am so _very_ lost... I do not know what to do without her… without _either_ of them!"

Suzume choked desolately as his hands tightened into fists at her back.

"Hayashimi never once begrudged my love for Reika. Even as we built a new life together; even as our children grow inside her; I wept at Reika's passing with a sadness that overshadowed all of our new fortune."

"Even then Hayashimi _held_ me! She soothed me. I know not how she can be so patient in the face of my duplicity! I have hurt her so many times and yet still she loves me and I do not understand why! I have never deserved her but still I clung to her. Now that Reika is gone; now that I might treat Hayashimi with the respect she has earned a thousand times over; she has been taken from me also."

Suzume buried his face in the front of her yukata as his arms tightened around her waist to the point they hurt. She ignored the pain as his frozen breath gasped through the fabric followed by searing points of wetness.

"I thought I could bring her back! Without thinking I forsake the vow to O-Inari-sama! Without considering it for a moment I cast off what my family has carried for _centuries!_ "

He crumbled into a shaking misery that dwindled his voice to a whisper.

"I cannot rail against the Fates for I am the one who has brought myself to ruin through stupidity, selfishness, and pride! I who once had everything now have nothing; not even service. Thanks to my folly I have nothing… I _am_ nothing… _nothing…!_ "

A stab of terror went winding through her heart as she felt him begin to fade. She smothered the anxious premonition circle her heart and shook him back to solidity, holding onto him tightly as she force him to stay.

"You still have all of us."

He was stock still in her arms, listening to every word. Hurriedly she continued, trying to explain why he was an idiot without outright telling him so.

"Look. Aniyaku pisses you off right?"

"Y-yes?"

"He pisses me off too. But we still love him because he's family. No matter what you do; no matter how much you make me angry; I'll always love you. _We'll_ love you. Vow or no vow; you're family. Nothing will change that."

Suzume's breath caught in his throat as he managed to speak.

"I… I do not understand…"

Chihiro wilted, shaking him again even as she held him closer. Was this really so hard to understand!?

"You know, I _really_ don't get kami sometimes. You're so wrapped up in your rules and rites and propriety and stuff. I know it's important but in the end does it really matter? You can still choose to help people even if you're not bound by a promise that got made for you a way long time ago? Even without your promise you're still a fox, right? You're still you."

He was afraid again and his hand tightened on the fabric of her yukata.

"Gods do not change, Chihiro…"

She blinked. He talked like it was an impossible terrible thing.

"Yes you do. I've seen all of you change."

Suzume glanced up at her as if uncertain.

"That is because we live with you."

It was her turn to be confused.

"What do you mean?"

He looked away, frowning as his face tightened into difficult lines.

"More and more I have come to understand that we are different that other kami. We live in this world rather than the Spirit Realm. We eat your food. We speak your language. How can we not help but be affected? With the other Gods it is not so. They shun change as they shun difference. Tradition and purity are upheld at all costs."

As she mulled that over Chihiro remembered the conversation she had with Lin a while back. Lin was all flustered over the fact that she was burned and missing an arm. She said that it marked her as different and that was bad. All the Bath House kami were marked in that way because they were missing their names. Lin said the other Kami wouldn't want to be around them because of that. It was the same reason the kami wouldn't let Kaonashi into Yubaba' Bath House. They were incomplete; impure; bad luck.

Even though she didn't agree with it she was beginning understand, at least a little bit. What she didn't get was why Suzume's family made the willing choice to enter into an agreement with humans that forced them into a state of apparent impurity? (1) Were they shunned as a result? Was that why Suzume was so isolated from the other kami in this region she's caught glimpses of from time to time? That didn't make any sense! Weren't Gods and humans supposed to interact with each other? When did they start hating each other so much? She just didn't get it!

"Kami are so weird!"

Suzume snorted as the corners of his lips tweaked.

"Kami think the same if not worse of humans, Chihiro."

The fox relaxed until he was simply lying in her arms as if exhausted. She ran her hand over his ragged white hair, petting him absently. Suzume closed his eyes and sighed wearily as a long suffering expression pulled his mouth into a frown.

"Chihiro… I am not a dog."

"S-sorry!"

As she snatched back her hand Suzume returned it to his hair.

"I did not say to stop."

Chihiro fought the urge to smile as he commanded her. Tucking his blackened hands under his chin Suzume shifted until he was using her like a pillow. Slowly his face composed. Tight lines of suffering eased into a wordless expression of helpless gratitude he'd never voice. Such a protective surge of affection went winding its way through her insides as she watched him drowse. All the while she continued to run her hands over his hair in the dark quiet as he'd requested. Just as slowly her insides went cold as her thoughts turned back to Lin.

"We're going after her," Chihiro murmured quickly, "You know that right?"

At once he went rigid as his hands bunched into fists.

"Yes," he pronounced tightly.

Chihiro blundered forward nervously.

"You're coming with us, right?"

Intense anger snarled the fox's brow as he gritted sharp teeth. Suddenly Suzume was standing and she startled back onto her elbows in surprise.

"I will follow for I refuse to accept _his_ company."

Her heart froze even and anger kindled in her stomach. She knew he was talking about Haku.

"It's not his fault, Suzume..."

"Yes it is!" The fox snarled back as his gold eyes flashed with feral fury.

Chihiro could only stare silently because Gods couldn't lie. Suzume turned away as his blackened hands tightened to fists.

"Child… Do you really believe that simply because you are able to forgive us that we are capable of forgiving each other?"

Burned to silence by his frosty rebuke she blinked as at once he was gone. The slider to the room hit the wall as it jerked open. Every hair on Cinna's tiny body stood on end as she jolted back against the stair well's banister. Chihiro scrambled up, chasing to the door as she bent under the rice rope to yell after the fox.

"Come back here, Suzume!"

He didn't come back. He didn't have to listen to her anymore.

* * *

 **HAKU**

The spider studied Kenka intently with her bloody eyes. Again she was wearing the form of a young girl in a strange uniform. Her stare was hungry; transfixed with longing so strong it bordered on pain. The spider nervously twirled a tendril of inky hair round and round her finger. Chouchin's light splashed her monstrous silhouette against the wall behind them. A thicket of spindly legs shifted in shadow. The sight alone pitched Haku into an irrational panic.

Hanoane flashed in his hand. He advanced on the heels of an angry wind that ripped through the kitchen. Chouchin whirled in the swift current sputtering blue and green in surprise. Onsen flared flooding the room with ruddy light. Upon seeing him the spider flew from her seat. She knocked back against the opposite wall and began clambering up its face against the laws of the human world. Before he could rip her down Kenka threw himself into his path.

" _Whoa! Dude, stop! Stop!"_

The human cringed from the blade in wide-eyed terror but did not budge. Haku did not hear him. His eyes jerked back to the demon as she pulled sharp lances of silk between her rapidly multiplying hands. Seeing her perched on the wall in a blot of shifting shadows triggered terrible remembrances. They came spilling out of him against his will and he bled sorrow and hate.

"She's a spider! Spiders stole my sister! Spiders killed my little brother!"

"I know, Nigihayami!"

His true name brought Haku up short as he all but crashed into Kenka. The human caught him trying to hold him back. They were the same height and the same build but he could have easily thrown Kenka aside. It was the human's words that brought him to stillness.

"She told me about the Ue-no-Kami and the Shita-no-Kami. She told me about Lin and Karasu. She told me about Shurui and Kubi and all the other spiders."

Haku caught Kenka by the yukata and bore down on him furiously.

"All this you know and still you defend this _monster_!?"

"Dude, her name's Kuromi."

Haku thundered in his face, sending gouts of wind tearing around the kitchen.

 _"Monsters do not have names, Kenka!"_

Onsen guttered in the gale, flooding the room with anxious shadows. Paler than pale and shaking from head to toe the human appealed to him with wide gray eyes full of fear obviously struggling to think of something to say. Much like Chihiro had held back Suzume last night, the human managed to waylay him with more words.

"K-Kou?" He choked in a hush, "I-I know I don't know _shit_ about any of this. B-but we've been up all night talking. I d-don't think she's a bad person. She's done terrible stuff but s-she wants to be different. S-she just doesn't k-know how."

Ever the peacemaker Kenka reached Haku. The human was right: monsters did not have names. Mortified by his behavior and the way he had treated his friend Haku took back his hand. As his wind dried he realized with a cold creeping dread that Hanoane was in his hand. He did not even remember drawing her. Horror heaved in his stomach as he considered what might have happened had Kenka not been here. Haku shuddered violently but did not stow his sword yet.

As the spider moved he stepped in front of Kenka. The tall male gasped, flinching from Haku's swiftness. Again Haku caught him by the front of his clothes, drawing him back on balance as slowly the spider collected her lances. She offered them up over her head, bowing to him as he had bowed to Shurui. Baffled and unsettled he stared at her askance his skin crawled.

"I can help you."

Haku struggled not to bitterly scoff in her face.

"Why would you help me?"

Then that spider held her lances off to the side giving them to Onsen's fire. The house reached out to claim them with a tendril of living flame, reducing them to ash as the spider nervously yanked back her fingers. With that she turned her solemn bloody eyes to him, appealing as if he was her last hope.

"Because I want to be like you."

Haku blinked and blinked and blinked. She was kami so she could not be lying. It took him a moment to speak as he found himself choking on horror.

"You _do not_ want to be like me!"

Her perfect pale face twisted with anguish as she gritted needle-sharp teeth. Disquiet robbed the spider of her ruse. As she shook her clenches fists they multiplied, reaching for him.

" _Please!_ "

Haku jerked away hauling the human with him. He held Hanoane's edge between them in a warning.

"Go!" He ordered quietly, jerking his head at the back door, "Leave at once!"

The slider flew open and the scent of snow blew through on a frozen draft. Onsen shrank from the cold as Chouchin shied with a hiss, darting aside to hide in the lee of the nook. At once the spider was staring at the door as if it terrified her.

"But I saved you in the cavern! If it wasn't for me you'd all be dead!"

Her protests cut short as she hurriedly shrank from the arms of fire that reached from the hearth. As she leapt down Haku dragged Kenka aside making a path to the door.

"That is most likely the only reason you are still alive. Now get out!"

The floor beneath the spider heaved as the dark green tiles rippled like water. She fell with a squeal only to be ushered across the room as the mercurial tiles physically pushed her across the floor only ejected her out the back door. At the last minute she caught the doorjamb with her many hands, clambering into the archway out of reach of the snapping floorboards. Exasperated, Haku blew a sharp mistral through his twisted fingers. The gale peeled her from the archway. The spider landed hard on the back porch only to scramble upright and have the door slam in her face. As Haku finally returned Hanoane to the hidden place at his hip the spider pounded and pulled on the door with a score of hands.

"Wait! Wait, will you just listen to me!?"

Haku cringed at the racket she was making. Soon the whole house would be up if she continued to shout.

" _Shhh!"_ He ordered uselessly, "Go! I want nothing more to do with you!"

"Look, I can help you find the weasel woman!"

The spider's offer touched a far too raw chord inside him. It forced him to admit he knew not where to start to regain Hayashimi. It was his fault; however accidental the responsibility remained. He had brought this curse upon his family. One journey had ended but another had begun. His knees shook ever so slightly as pain returned. It seemed he would never be without it. It pricked a hole in his heart and bleeding out all his calm as the spider continued.

"You're gonna need all the help you can get to go against Shurui. You _need_ me!"

His pride flared in angry response to her assumptions. He spat the words hastily not knowing if they were true or not.

"Do not underestimate me, spider! I doubt I am in such sore need of your help!"

She seemed to believe him, growing quiet with fear.

"But I have nowhere to go!"

"That is none of my concern!" Haku returned mercilessly.

" _Please!"_

Again she was begging, sounding terribly young as her many hands pressed against the paper. Haku cringed as he looked at them and found them to be so very small.

"The sunlight will _kill_ me!"

Haku froze as her truth hit him physically.

"Is she lying?"

He gritted his teeth as Kenka forced him to tell the truth.

"I have never seen a spider during the daylight."

Suddenly the weight of Kenka's eyes felt extremely heavy on his back.

"Dude, I know I have no right to meddle in any of this. If you want her to leave because you don't trust her, no problem, but if it's just because she's a spider…"

Kenka trailed off. Haku cringed at the human touched his back with a shaking hand

"You and I both know what it's like to be hated for what we are instead of who we are. I think I have the right to say that much."

Haku cringed from his friend's words as they forced him to think. Would Suzume have let the spider stay if she posed a threat? Would Onsen? That they had let the spider stay at all confused Haku to no end. But then again, they had let him stay as even after what he had brought upon them. Suzume's parting promise still rang in his ears turning his blood to ice. If the fox could suffer him to remain how could he turn out this spider? Was he demanding she leave simply because he abhorred spiders? Or was it because he doubted her intentions? Haku caught Chouchin before she could bump his head sympathetically. He held the silly lantern in his arms making her turn a rosy pink. Not trusting himself to answer he implored of the house for help.

"Onsen?"

After a tense moment the back door snicked open. Kuromi spilled onto the floor inside. She clambered up using her many hands shying into the shadows of the nook as she peered back in horror at the slowly warming sky. Slowly she turned to stare at him in astonishment as if she had not expected such mercy.

"T-thank you!"

Haku tried not to shrink from her in disgust.

"Do not thank me," he gritted through his teeth, "I had nothing to do with it."

Turning on his heel Haku fled the kitchen. Seizing the human by the sleeve he dragged Kenka behind him.

* * *

 **Notes:**

(1) I read an interesting article the other day. Whether they're priest, priestess, witch or simply a poor fool prone to possession, as time turned from pre-history to a more modern era the humans who have acted as intermediaries between the human and spirit worlds have slowly been branded outcast even though they are feared, revered, and constantly called upon for help. I thought it might be interesting if kami chose to enter into a similar agreement, moving into the strange liminal world between ours and there's to act as intermediaries for kami to human. Enough said on that. Don't want to give too many spoilers.


	52. Chapter 52

**HAKU**

An angry wind chased him all the way down the hall. It unfurled through the entryway where he shoved his friend to a seat on the stool at the welcome station. Letting Chouchin into the circling mistrals Haku rounded on the human as the lantern filled the hall with dim light

"What were you thinking, Kenka?!"

The tall human seized the desk to keep himself upright, shrinking again. Fear pinched his face into tight lines.

"Kou! Kou, you're seriously _scaring_ the shit outta me!"

Haku stamped his foot, making the room shake as he loosed a burst of wind that tore through the human's hair and clothes, making Chouchin's light flicker in the gloom.

"Good! You should be frightened! Gods cannot tell lies but they are just like humans, Kenka! They are capable of wickedness, manipulation, and cruelty!"

"Okay, I g-get it! I'm s-sorry!"

Haku blinked; wilting as he stared at his friend. The poor human looked faint.

"Do not be sorry, Kenka. You have done nothing wrong. That you see the best in everyone, God or human, is a rare and precious thing."

Pinching his temples with one of his hands Haku paced awkwardly.

"Apologies… I… I overreacted. I am frightened of spiders. I was even more frightened when I saw you with her. I feared she might hurt you."

Haku jumped as again Kenka's burning hand found his shoulder. Turning he found his friend beside him shaking from head to toe wearing such an expression of relief. Haku went stock still as the male yanked him into a hug.

"Dude!" Kenka choked in a tiny voice, "I thought I'd never see you again!"

Haku blinked rapidly as again pin pricks seared the edges of his eyes. Shyly Haku drew back only to pause, lifting his hands to gently collect the male's face.

"Your eyes!"

They were exactly the same height, which allowed Haku to stare in alarm at the human's wide compassionate eyes. They were no longer brown. Magic burned the color from them. Kenka had been irreversibly touched by the Spirit World. It would never leave him now. Kenka flashed a trembling smile that faltered even as it held.

"Yeah... Same thing happened to Jae and Meg."

Haku helped him to a seat, planting himself against the wall beside Kenka.

"Tell me everything."

"We, uh… We followed Chihiro back to Ueno through a… a d-door?" Kenka waved a hand back at the kitchen uselessly, "Meg opened it. Then Chihiro went off with that fox guy, the ghost, and the freaky-eyed lady from the park."

Haku blinked, "Kubi!?"

Kenka didn't hear him, he was too caught up in the telling of what had passed.

"They left us there an' I didn't know what to do! Then _boom!_ Satako called."

Haku stood bolt upright.

"Satako!?"

Kenka was staring with his uncanny pale eyes as if he already knew everything.

"You left all of them with her, right? The Ka-m-m…"

Kenka could not bring himself to speak the word. Abruptly he pressed on.

"After you took off she called Chihiro's cell in a panic but Chihiro'd left her cell in her car. Michio answered it. Chihiro'd called Shouta the most out of all the recent calls so Michio gave Satako Shouta's number and Shouta called me."

Haku's mind reeled as it got tangled in the details.

"What did you do?"

Kenka shrugged as if he could not think of anything else to do.

"We went to get them."

Haku gaped.

"How?!

"We chartered a bus. Luckily Shinjuku Station's close to Ginza. Jae and Amano pretty much hijacked the driver but Megumi gave him a ridiculous fare so he got a good deal if you ask me."

As Kenka explained in such matter-of-fact terms Haku struggled to smother a short incredulous laugh behind his hand.

"A bus!?"

Kenka's pale eyes sparkled as he nodded.

"Dude! It was straight outta a Miyazaki movie! The… uh… Your _friends_ kept moving from one side of the bus to the other so they could see Tokyo. They made the bus tilt a couple of times. The poor driver was white as a sheet by the time he dropped us off in Kumomi."

Kenka was grinning now. He wiggled his fingers and made a scary noise. "Wooo… Haunted bus!"

Haku laughed outright at that, fighting to sober.

"How did Shouta fare on this terrible ride?"

Here Kenka's face fell and Haku's heart seized with terror. Abruptly the human dropped his eyes to the floor struggling to hold himself together as his face composed with aggrieved resignation.

"Shouta didn't come. Neither did Kana or Fuu."

Stunned, Haku could only listen as Kenka pushed on to explain. Chouchin floated back overhead coloring a sympathetic blue. Glancing at her Kenka's brow twisted with fear as his mouth drew into a grim line.

"M'beginning to think it's a good thing."

Haku stared at him helplessly.

"Kenka, I… I do not understand…"

The human threw up his hands with such violence Haku jumped.

"Me neither, dude!"

Suddenly the male was intensely angry and at odds with himself.

"Sensei says it's because they're not like us. How did she put it? She said they couldn't see the world they way we do."

Haku blinked and blinked and blinked some more.

"Kazuo-san?"

Kenka nodded shortly at once grim with anger.

"Before Shouta called Sensei an' Origa just showed up! They were there when the restaurant collapsed. It just folded in on itself like a bad soufflé. _Poof!_ "

Kenka made a folding motion with his hands only to stare at them helplessly.

"They just watched! That was our whole life and they just watched it go out like they already knew it was gonna happen! You know what the worst part is? Sensei said she's always known we were different. That's why she chose us to work at the restaurant. She _chose_ us, dude! Can you _fuckin'_ believe that!? She picked us for this mess then she fuckin' _dumped_ us!"

Kenka's face drew into enraged lines as he clutched his head as if it ached. Quietly the male continued, so quietly Haku held his breath to listen.

"She told us to get out of Tokyo… She told us to just disappear and she wouldn't even tell us why… I couldn't do that to Sho… He's all I have…"

Kenka took a shuddering breath and furtively dashed a hand at his cheeks.

"It's weird, huh… He's totally into all this stuff but in the end he couldn't believe. He couldn't even believe me."

Kenka turned his face into his hands as his shoulders shook. As if he had much practice the human wept without making a sound. Haku sank to his knees at the male's feet staring up at his friend feeling utterly helpless. It hurt him to see the human so miserable. It hurt him even more to know he had caused them to be torn apart.

"I… I never meant to bring this upon you..."

Though his face was red and raw, Kenka looked down at him with the same patient gentle expression that first endeared the human to him. The look inspired such a response. Haku gritted his teeth as his heart squeezed to the point where he feared it might actually burst.

"Dude, I don't think any of this is your fault."

Haku was too upset to accept the pardon.

"How is it you are so calm? I find there is usually screaming and… running."

Kenka snorted as a weak smirk pulled his generous mouth from grimness.

"There was way more running and screaming a week ago."

Haku's insides stilled in dismay. Had it been so long? A handful of hours on the other side could easily become days in human time. He was dragged from his thoughts as Kenka smoothed his chemical frosted hair.

"I s'pose this means I'm getting used to things. At first I didn't think that was possible but we've worked some things out."

The human's pale eyes turned distant with memory.

"Natsumi reminds me a lot of the lady who ran the orphanage where I grew up. She explained the way things work here. We cook. In exchange we get a safe place to stay, well... safer 'n Tokyo anyway…. It's a pretty good deal if you ask me.

Kenka sighed gustily, smoothing his hair unconsciously.

"When the Onsen opens back up we can cook for the guests too. We've got good credentials. This way Amano's not stuck here all the time cooking."

Haku blinked at the human's name as worry surged in his chest. He had so many humans to worry for now.

"What of the boy?" Haku blurted hastily, "Is he well?"

Kenka blinked.

"Kai? He's okay as far as I can tell. He's always running around with the little green guy… uh… I'm not sure what to call him…"

The human flustered as he went pale, appealing to him for help.

"Little Green Frog?"

"Y-yeah. That's him. I suppose they're f-frogs, aren't they? School hasn't started yet so his uncle… He's a priest at the shrine right? He's been bringing the kid over when his dad's out fishing. Dude, can you believe they fish in winter!? How do they not freeze!? Amano brings back some seriously awesome fish, though."

Haku was relieved to hear the boy was well. It was difficult not to remember the youngling's tight clammy fingers as they clung to his hand in the spider cavern.

"And Amano? Is he also well?

Again Kenka's face fell making Haku squirm with disquiet.

"I don't think he's okay, not really. At least that's what the priest guy told Natsumi when he came to get Kai last night. I heard them talking. He an' Amano are both pretty messed up about someone named Ikiri. I think she didn't make it back with the others."

Haku's blood froze in his veins as the revelation struck him a stunning blow, sending him crashing to a rude seat on the floor. Cold pressed down on him from every angle as his insides turned to lead, weighing him with dread. He stared uncomprehending as Kenka scrambled up from his seat reaching for him uncertainly.

"D-dude, you okay!?"

Haku did not hear him.

"Who else is missing?!"

His hoarse croak could have belonged to a frog.

"Uh… T-that scary lady with the weird silver eyes and the g-ghost dude with the mask? S-sorry, I, uh, don't know their names. Then Ikiri and someone named Lin."

Haku cringed from the names. Each twisted and dug deeper the blade of guilt already buried in his heart. With a moan he bowed over his knees until his forehead was pressed against his hands. Uttering a furious sob he struck the floor with clenched fists. Somewhere overhead Chouchin loosed a sputtering hiss as Kenka scrambled back. The stool clattered over as a shudder clambered across the floor from beneath Haku, rattling up the walls and cross the ceiling as Onsen echoed with the flood of his misery.

Four from their family were missing.

Four: it was the number of death.

Haku jolted back onto his heels as a voice spoke from the rafters.

"I don't know about the ghost but Shurui took the others on the train."

Perched upside-down on the corner of the hallway so her long inky hair hung like a curtain in the doorway the spider peered at him over the cross beam of the archway.

" _You!"_ Haku barked viciously as he flew to his feet.

Even as he reached to tear her down with a violent gust she dropped, landing in a crouch as wind scoured paper and varnish from wall and wood above her. In a rush of shadow that sent Kenka skittering to hide behind the Welcome Station the spider darted out onto the stones of the entryway. Before she could get away the front doors yanked open, casting her in a stark outline as filtered dawn light flooded inside. With an agonized shriek the spider threw herself backwards as thin smoke started up from her body. She hit the ground, wriggling and hauling herself backwards with hideous clambering limbs only to freeze as Haku pinned her in his shadow. At once she transformed, returning to her female form to tuck in the narrow refuge of his silhouette.

" _Tell me everything!"_ Haku thundered.

Spider stared at him grimly struggling not to show either pain or fear.

"See?" she whispered, "You do need me after all."

" _Speak!"_ Haku commanded, "Or gladly I feed these stones your ashes!"

She cringing beneath her hands but called his bluff none-the-less.

"If you were gonna kill me you would've already."

Haku bared his teeth and growled, producing a terrifying sound deep in his chest as the dragon inside him emerged. Fear and weakness almost had him almost forget it was there. Had he still a tail and claws the walls and floor would have suffered beneath his frustrations because she was right and she knew it. The spider's voice was a thin hiss of terror as she dictated terms in spite of her situation.

"I'll tell you everything I know; I'll help you and I won't stop until you have your family back; but I won't do it for free."

Haku crouched over her barely resisting the urge to wring her scrawny neck.

"What do you want!?" He snapped viciously.

Kuromi stared between spindly burned fingers with the same resolve from earlier.

"I already told you want I want."

Haku's insides sang with arctic dread as he remembered his ordeal with Sengen.

"You have no idea what you ask!"

The spider sagged against the stones.

"If you won't help me then kill me."

She closed her eyes, gritting her teeth as the edges of her body began to smolder.

"I meant what I said to the fox. I'd rather die than keep living as a monster."

Her answer struck him dumb. Haku stared at her in utter confusion. Dawn continued to intensify at his back, slowly eroding his shadow. In a handful of minutes she would be nothing more than a pile of ash. Could he really bring himself to let her die? Could he? When twice before he refused to cut down Shurui? Was he really so duplicitous? Was he such a terrible liar? Oh, it was a terrible thing to hold her life in his hands. He hated her in the moment for forcing the task upon him. Haku spat every word as they cost him dearly.

"I accept your bargain, spider."

The doors behind Haku slammed shut on the sun. Still smoking Kuromi scrambled to hide. The spider threw herself into the thick shadows under the raised platform where they stored extra clogs just as the guest wing sliders ripped open. Haku was standing bolt upright as Bozu darted into the entryway. His tiny feet pattered loudly in the silence as the yokai skidded to a halt beside Kenka. The human jumped and shrank from the one-eyed yokai as the little fellow tipped back Karasu's bowler hat and tugged on his sleeve.

"Why tall human and lantern hide?" He whispered curiously, "Is it a game?"

" _SHIT!"_ Jae swore distantly.

The one-eyed yokai spun to shush loudly.

" _Shhhh!_ Foul-mouth human is too loud!"

Shakily Kenka stood as Jae and Megumi's bare fee slapped on the floor. Megumi was holding an old radio as if it was a precious thing. Haku jolted away from the thing as it uttered a loud crackle. As quickly as Bozu scolded he melted into a dovey cajole upon addressing the female.

"Pretty human needs help? Bozu will help. Here! Put it here!"

The goblin righted the stool and slid it into the middle of the hall. Hurriedly the Megumi set the device on the chair. Chouchin fled its sounds with sparks as Megumi fought with the dials. Haku jumped as the lantern fled to hide behind his back. Bozu followed her flight until he rounded on him. The goblin's single eye went perfectly round as he pointed and sputtered.

"Stupid dragon is back! Where is Kubi-san!?"

" _Shut t'fuck up an' listen to this!"_

Jae snarled as he held onto the long metal tail that swiveled at the radio's back, throwing up his arms and waving comically until the signal cleared to a voice.

 _Again, this is breaking news…_

Haku fought to hear through the static.

… _Earthquake has struck Tokyo … Taito Ward…_

At once Kenka went perfectly white. He ripped the antiquated phone from its cradle, dialing from memory. Gritting his teeth he knotted the cord in his hand, pacing as he chewed his lip. He straightened abruptly and stared blankly at the receiver. With rare gentleness Megumi took it out of his hand and returned it to the receiver explaining calmly as if for all of their benefits.

"Power and phones will be down because of the earthquake."

"It wasn't an earthquake," Kuromi pronounced quietly.

"What _t'fuck_ do you know!?"

Jae rounded on her savagely only to shrink as he realized what she was. The male cringed back into Megumi as the singed spider straightened in the gloomy entryway. She stared at the crackling radio with a grim expression. Kuromi's red eyes burned like fires as she stared as if seeing something so very far. The disembodied voice continued to chatter in the ensuing silence.

 _In an unprecedented geological event an entire section of Asakusa sank 15 meters causing massive flooding from the Sumida River. Geologists say the collapse of a cavern deep beneath the streets may be responsible. Before the quake hit this morning a similar destabilization took place… Train service is suspended… Thousands are without power._

Here the signal began to break up.

 _Ueno Park late last night..._

Only terribly familiar fragments survived.

 _Uguisudani Station…_

Finally the voice died, drowning in a crackle of static.

Here the spider repeated herself, explaining this time.

"It wasn't an earthquake. It was the Wheel of Yamanote."

* * *

 **End of Book Two: In the Dreamer's Wake**

 **To be continued in**

 **Book Three: The Wheel of Yamanote**


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